428 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 
ago pointed out the development of the Cirrhapods, which are first deposited free, 
and afterwards become fixed. The letter was from Captain Du Cane, of 
Southampton, who had been led accidentally to investigate this subject. He 
had obtained the ova of what he supposed at first to be the Common Prawn, from 
a ditch to which the sea had access, but on examining the water he found it only 
slightly brackish, and therefore he inferred it was not the Common Prawn, and 
proposed to name it the “ Ditch Prawn.” After keeping these ova for some time 
they produced a number of minute diaphanous animals, altogether different from 
the full-grown Prawn. On attentively watching them he found that they assumed 
different forms as they increased in size. He was, however, unable to trace their 
changes beyond the third day, as they invariably died at this period. ■ The letter 
was accompanied by drawings of the various forms the animals had assumed. 
The President observed that it was generally difiicult to keep salt-water 
animalculoe alive, as the water became so soon decomposed. The letter of Capt. 
Du Cane was valuable, and he hoped that the subject of the development of 
Crustacea would meet with more attention than it had done at present. He 
questioned whether many of the received species of Crustacea were any thing 
more than one animal in its several stages of growth. 
Dr. Richardson inquired if it were not possible for Capt. Du Cane to have 
mistaken some parasitic animals for the young Prawn7 
The President replied that he did not think this probable, as the ova were 
found several times in great abundance, and their development led to the same 
results. 
The Rev. W. F. Hope suspected the animal whose development had been 
observed belonged to the Shrimp and not the Prawn family. The Ditch Shrimp— 
which he suspected this to be—was common on the Norfolk and Suffolk coast. 
Some general remarks then followed by various members on the economy of 
Crustacea. 
Mr. Ha LIDA Y exhibited some plates of the Argas and Ixodes^ which produced 
the poisonous bites alluded to yesterday.—The President observed that the term 
“bite” was improperly applied to the wound produced by these insects. They 
were the result of the introduction of their long serrated proboscis, and he thought 
the painful consequences were the result of violently extracting the part from 
the skin. 
Mr. Babington then read a “Notice, with the Results, of a Botanical Tour 
in Guernsey and Jersey.” He spent two months on the islands, collected about 
500 species, and obtained a list from Mr. Saunders, nurseryman, of 225 others. 
Of plants not before recorded he had found the following :~Hgpericum land- 
folium^ Neottia cestivalis, Sinapis incana^ Mercurialis ambigua^ Arthrolohium 
ehracteatim^ Atriplex rosea. Of plants common in England he had not seen in 
