138 GAMMARID^E. 



A MPHIP ODA . PH OXIDES. 



NATATOEIA. 



Subfamily PHOXIDES. 



Pontopor ddes. DANA, Un. St. Explor. Exped. p. 912. SPENCE BATE and 

 WESTWOOD, Rep. Brit. Assoc. 1855, p. 21. 



Pkoxides. SPENCE BATE, Ann. Nat. Hist. 1857, vol. xx. p. 525. Cat. 



Arnph. Brit. Mus. p. 97. 



Cephalon produced in advance, more like a hood than a rostrum. Inferior 

 autennce situated considerably posterior to the superior. 



THIS subfamily offers several aberrant characteristics. 

 The head is generally produced far in advance of the 

 antennae, looking like a hood hanging over the basal 

 portions. The eyes in the most typical genera are almost 

 rudimentary, and exist in the form of an orbicular mass 

 of pigment, deeply seated in the head, without any lenses 

 observable on the surface. The antennas are situated 

 nearly in the same plane, the one behind the other. 



The peculiar form of the head, together with the im- 

 perfect character of the eyes, induce us to believe that 

 these animals dwell where vision is not essential, some 

 burrowing in sandy or muddy bottoms, while others ex- 

 hibit features of a parasitic character.* 



The genus Pontoporeia being closely allied to Anonyx 

 in the preceding sub-family, we have been compelled to 

 reject Dana's sub-family name, and have employed in its 

 stead a name derived from one of the most typical of its 

 genera. 



* The recent observations of Mr. Spence Bate on the development of some 

 species of Hyperina induce us to believe that there is a nearer connection 

 between this sub-family and the latter than has hitherto been assigned to 

 them. 



