SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
GREGARIOUS CRUSTACEA FROM CEYLON. 
By the Rev. Thomas R. R. Stebbing, M.A., F.R.S. 
With six Plates and one text-figure. 
IHE following paper was prepared in response to the request 
- L - of my friend Dr. Arthur Willey, D.Sc., F.R.S., who sent me 
the group of specimens. Writing from the Colombo Museum in 
August, 1902, he says :— 
“ While collecting in a salt water lake having both fluviatile and 
marine connections I came across some piles of cocoanut driven 
into the water by fishermen, which harboured great numbers of 
small organisms, tubicolous amphipods and boring isopods, and in 
amongst the tubes several errant species, isopods, amphipods, and 
what I took to be tanaids, &c. I thought this was a very interest¬ 
ing example of association of animals, and it occurred to me to 
send samples of the specimens to you. I only obtained one 
specimen of the Alpheug, the one sent. 
“The tubicolous amphipods were mostly on the inner surface 
of the bark stripped off the piles. The boring isopods were mostly 
above the water line. I cut off the top of the block and had it 
photographed and send copy. It looks like a bee or a wasp nest, 
each cell containing an isopod when fresh and several with 
young. 
“ The tubicolous amphipods (when they leave their tubes) 
move about with a straight motion like a caterpillar or grub. The 
errant amphipods which were amongst the tubes were dark gray 
in colour, and had the familiar sidelong motion. The tanaids 
crept out from the innermost recesses, often appearing to emerge 
from the tubes themselves. 
“ Some of the empty holes of the boring isopods at the top of 
the pile actually contained dipterous larvae.” 
B 
8(3)04 
