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Miscellaneous, 501 into eighteen segments, with a yellowish line down the centre of the whole and which was much darker towards the tail ; on each segment were two dark spots ; and long fine pointed hairs extended the whole length of the animal beyond the tail. The head had much the ap-pearance of a cat, and my youngest boy, with child-like simplicity, called it " the little sea-cat," and would not let me rest until I had sketched it. The head was divided into three parts, the centre one being raised ; on each side of this raised part were the crescent-shaped dark eyes, large in proportion to the animal ; between the eyes three small dark spots ; on each side of the snout were whisker-like ap-pendages, spoon-shaped at the end ; on each cheek a fan tipped with pointed hairs, which with the whiskers moved at times rapidly ; at the hind part of the head two hoop-like ears — these also moved freely. It had, as well, short hairs on the tail, broadest at the outer end ; these, as well as those on the head, were in rapid motion whenever the animal moved about, but quiet when it was at rest. Figs. 7-9. — Thaumantias lucifera, which by some means had got into contact with a Sagitta. Whether it had employed the Sagitta to remove a bone which it had in its throat, after one of its delicate repasts, as the wolf did the crane, or not, I am unable to say : if so, 1 e was not so honourable as the wolf ; for despite of all the exertions of the Sagitta to free itself, and although the swallower's stomach was turned outwards in the struggle, he still refused to let him go ; and the only difference that I could see was, the lips were pressed tighter round the head of his mouthful than before ; for I fre-quently saw him, previously to the tutu-out, smacking his lips, as if like the smoker of the present day he was enjoying his cigar : no doubt the dread of separation rendered this tight embrace necessary, having met with a very rough customer. This appears to me to be a proof positive that the Medusae prey upon other animals, and hesi-tate not to attack those of large size, if they fall in their way ; for I cannot believe this intrusion into the stomach of the Medusa arose from any Paul-Pry accident on the part of the Sagitta. It was a fearful struggle, maintained with great obstinacy on both sides, and which I watched for a quarter of an hour. I left them still locked, at 2 a.m., hoping at daylight to see the result of the affair, but found the vanquisher and the vanquished had vanished, and left only a very minute granular wreck behind. This rapid destruction is not uncommon among the minute objects which swarm in the sea ; for as soon as the least weakness or sign of decay takes place, the still smaller scavengers fall upon them, and in a very short time all trace of them is lost — so abundant and so voracious are these sweepers. TIME OF SPAWNING OF BRITISH CRUSTACEA. To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. Gentlemen, Weymouth, Nov. 3, 1851. I inclose you a table of data which may probably assist in deter-mining the times of spawning of twenty-four species of Crustacea taken at Weymouth. I have taken many other species, and many other specimens of the species of which I now inclose the list, but not one

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Time of spawning of British crustacea

Annals And Magazine of Natural History (2) 8: 501-503 (1851)

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