VARYING HIPPOI.YTE. 



287 



extremity. The thicker filament of the internal antennae 

 is of moderate size, and is but slightly curved, instead of 

 being abruptly bent at right angles, as in H. spinus and 

 some other species. The external pedipalps are of mode- 

 rate length ; the terminal joint short, flattened, rounded, 

 hairy, and furnished with minute spines on its inner 

 margin. The first pair of feet very short, rather thick ; 

 the second pair shorter than the third, and the wrist with 

 not more than three or four joints. Abdomen less gib- 

 bous than in some species, as H. Spinus and H. Cranchii. 

 Middle plate of the tail with two pairs of small spines. 



Length about three-quarters of an inch. 



The usual colour is a beautiful clear green ; but, as Dr. 

 Leach states, " it is very variable in colour, occurring with 

 every shade of green, and of every tint between reddish 

 and liver-brown." 



This is the most abundant of all our species of Hippolyte, 

 though probably not the most extensively distributed. 

 " It is found," says Dr. Leach, " in profusion in pools 

 amongst the rocks on the south-western coast of Devon 

 and Cornwall." It is common all along that coast, and as 

 far as Poole Harbour in Dorsetshire ; and, although it is 

 not mentioned by Mr. Couch in his Cornish Fauna, I have 

 received specimens of it from that gentleman from Pol- 

 perro. It has been found extensively round the Irish 

 coast. Mr. W. Thompson says, " It has been taken 

 commonly by Mr. Hyndman and myself in the rock pools 

 accessible at low-water throughout the Down coast, and 

 has been dredged hy us in deep water on the north-east 

 coast, and in Killery Bay, Connemara. Mr. R. Ball has 

 specimens from the shores about Dublin." 



It is a beautiful and elegant species, but loses its lovely 

 green colour soon after death. 



