Notes on Irish crustacea : first series, the Brachyura / by William Andrews.

  • Andrews, William, 1802-1880.
Date:
1877
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Notes on Irish crustacea : first series, the Brachyura / by William Andrews. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    I tinguishing points, and no dependence can be placed on excess of spinous processes or denticulations as specific distinctions, some of I the specimens, though partaking much of the described characters ' of X rivulosa, approach nearer to X tuherculata, the absence of j denticulations being the only characters to separate them from that species. As I hare, however, observed, no reliance can be placed upon such variations, and I must consider that X. rivulosa and X tuherculata possess similar cliaracters, and that the latter figured in the appendix to Bell's British Crustacea, p. 359, is a doubtful species. 1 In order that these views might be corroborated, I forwarded I a specimen to my friend Professor Allman, f.r.s,. President of I the Linngean Society, who, in the earlier stages of his scientific j career, had paid much attention to the Crustacea of Ireland, in order that he might compare it with the fine series of the genus in the British Museum. His examinations were most confirma- tory, and he stated in reply, Your view, as to the probability of \Xantho rivulosa and Xantho tuberculcUa not being distinct ] species, is fully confirmed by comparison with the British Museum I specimens; yours is certainty the form there labelled Xantho rivulosa, and that so described by Bell. There is but one known British species of the genus Pilumnus. , P. hirtellus (hairy crab) is much distributed on the western and southern coasts. In rocky pools, at the West Blasket Island, it is very numerous, where I also obtained beautiful specimens of the I Cornish suckers—Lepidogaster cornuhiensis, and L. himaculatus. Similarly, only one species of the genus Pirimela is known, the P. denticulata of Leach. This beautiful little species is richly variegated, the colours assuming varied tints, in difierent specimens. It is rather rare, is taken in deep water, and is an exceedingly active crustacean. When placed in a bowl of seawater i.with other specimens, it voraciously attacked minute specimens of Mysis and Hippolyte. Family Portunidce.—Carcinus mcenas, the common shore crab, is so weU known to every shore-paddling urchin, that no remark f about it is necessary, beyond the notice that the finest specimens are obtained in deep water with a small trawl. It is found in the deeper soundings of the harbours of Dingle, Ventry, and Valentia, and also of Smerwick andBrandon. In those localities it is