Page:VCH Surrey 1.djvu/232

 A HISTORY OF SURREY doing right in preferring the specific name which Persoon had given it to that which others had given it in honour of Persoon. When in 1 872 I chanced to find this species near Copthorn Common in Surrey it appeared not possible to assign it to any of the genera defined by Bate and Westwood in their British Sessile-eyed Crustacea, but to demand the re-establishment of Koch's genus Zia, which they had made a synonym of Philoscia. On this latter point my opinion was confirmed by Mr. Spence Bate himself. He also regarded the species as new, and upon this encouragement I described it as Zia saundersii, little conscious of the tissue of work to which this maiden effort would eventually lure me on. 1 It was however at once recognized by Dr. A. M. Norman that the species though new to England had been long known on the con- tinent, and at the same time he pointed out that as Koch's genus was of later date than Brandt's the species ought to be called Ligidium agile (Persoon). 8 But even this did not conclude the business, for Budde- Lund in 1885 at length established the proper name as L. bypnorum (Cuvier). Besides the vicinity of Copthorn Common and of Charlwood, which is not far distant from Copthorn, no locality British or Irish seems to have yielded this species. From all our ordinary inland woodlice it is very easily distinguished by the second antennae. In these it will be noticed that the flagellum or whip-like terminal part is divided into ten or eleven small joints. An equally well marked character is furnished by the other extremity, the tail-feet or uropods being peculiarly con- structed. The peduncle of these is strongly produced on the inner side, and though the inner branch affixed to the tip of this process is much smaller than the outer branch, yet it extends much beyond it by help of its two long apical bristles. The animal's coat is smooth and shining, the animal itself is delicate and easily damaged, the two caudal bristles when moist readily adhere together and look like one. In the family Trichoniscidae Surrey has the little claret-brown Trichoniscus pusillus, Brandt. It has been found in the same neighbour- hood as the previous species, but unlike that it is rather common and widely dispersed. It was called Itea riparia by Koch, and Bate and Westwood have followed Kinahan in calling it Philougria riparia, mean- ing that it is fond of moisture and is found on banks and braes. But Brandt's names for it are the earlier and must prevail. Its second antennas are rather strikingly geniculated, and little outstanding spines give them a thorny appearance. The flagellum or lash has only four joints. Of the family Oniscidae there are at least five species in Surrey, Oniscus asellus, Linn., Philoscia muscorum (Scopoli), Metoponorthus pruinosus (Brandt), Porcellio scatter, Latreille, and P. dilatatus (Brandt). The first three of these have been found in the Copthorn district, the second is on record from Reigate, 3 the second, third and fourth have been sent me by 1 Ann. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vol. xi. p. 236 (1873) ; Prof. Holmeidale Nat. Hist. Club, October, 1872, to April, 1875, p. i. 8 Proc. Holmesdale Nat. Hist. Club (1872-5), p. I. 190
 * jinn. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vol. xi. p. 419.