DECAPODA. 
381 
2nd Section, Decapoda Anomoura. 
Genus Lithodes. 
L. Maia, Leach. 
Templeton says of this species — “ Found on the coast of the County 
Wexford : a specimen thence is in Trinity College Museum [Dublin]. 
It is called by the people craban.” * 
I have not seen any Irish example of this crab, but am indebted to Dr. 
Wylie of Ballantrae, Ayrshire, for a very fine specimen which was taken 
in a herring-net there in the summer of 1838, in water from twenty to 
thirty fathoms in depth. It was brought to Dr. Wylie by the fishermen 
as a species which they had never before met with. 
Genus Pagurus. 
P. Bernliardus, Edw. 
Hermit-crabs of this species are very common in univalve shells 
around the coast of Ireland. Leach mentions their “first occupying the 
shells of the common periwinkle or trochus ” (Art. Crustaceology in Edin. 
Encyclop.) ; but some examples in my collection are much smaller than 
those contained in the species just named. They are in the Littorina 
retusa, Turritella terebra , and Nassa macula ; univalves from this size up 
to that of the largest Buccina are commonly inhabited by the P. Bern- 
hardus : a specimen of this crab from the coast of Down, in my collection, 
is 6|- inches in length. Samouelle speaks of the shell occupied by the 
Pagurus being “ destined to preserve the body from injury, and to guard 
them from the attacks of fishes, which would otherwise devour them.” 
Entom. Compend., p. 92. In this latter respect the shells are of little 
service, as I have remarked Paguri very commonly in the stomachs of 
various species of fishes, but especially in the omnivorous and voracious 
cod : all the moderate-sized and large hermit-crabs which have thus 
occurred to me must have been dragged from their shells, which, in no 
instance that I recollect, were found in the stomach of the fish along 
with them. 
One of these crabs inhabiting a Buccinum undatum was brought up 
alive in the dredge from a depth of fifty fathoms off the Mull of Galloway. 
See Annals, vol. x. p. 21. 
P. Prideauxii, Leach, 
Has been taken by Mr. Hyndman and myself when dredging in 
Strangford and Belfast Loughs, and in the open sea off Dundrum, County 
Down, and in every instance occupying the shell invested by the Adam- 
sia maculata {Actinia maculata, Adams). Leach states that “Mr. Pri- 
deaux has observed it in a vast variety of habitations, even in the tubes 
of the Dentalia and in the shell of Scaphander lignarius \_Bulla lignarid \ : ” 
no allusion is made to its connexion with Adamsia. 
To me this appears singular, for among the very numerous specimens 
of Paguri in my collection from all quarters of the Irish coast, and found 
inhabiting shells of various species, not a P. Prideauxii occurs, except in 
connexion with the A ctihia already named. This is a remarkable fact. 
* Dr. Ball thinks there is some mistake here. Maia Squinado, probably. — Ed. 
