230 CEYLON PEAEL OYSTER REPORT. 



The size of the Ceylon specimens is generally small, even as compared with 

 Amphipoda from our own coasts, while they are pigmies alongside of those from the 

 Arctic and Antarctic seas. The largest measured is 10 millims. long; our own 

 Amathilla homan is 25 millims. and some of the Arctic and Antarctic species are still 

 larger. 



Two species of different families, viz., Melita anisochir and Cheiriphotis megacheles, 

 deserve notice from the great size of the "hands" of the 2nd pair of feet (gnathopods) 

 in the males and their resemblance to a broken bit of shell. One would suppose their 

 use to he protective, as they are large enough to cover the animal when half buried in 

 sand, hut it is difficult to see why the males only should he so protected ; in both 

 instances the females have quite small hands. 



The list of areas from which species have been previously recorded is only to he 

 regarded as an indication of distribution and does not pretend to be complete, nor is 

 that of much importance, as the Amphipoda have been so little collected in most seas. 

 Roughly speaking, it may be said that of the Gammaridea 19 species have been 

 recorded from the Northern Hemisphere, 8 from the Southern, and 7 may he 

 considered Equatorial, but it must be remembered that the number of collectors is far 

 greater in the North. The greatest number of individuals taken in this collection 

 belong to the Southern genus Platophium. 



The Caprellidse are treated separately, by Dr. Paul Mayer, in the Report that 

 precedes this in the present volume. 



The following Amphipoda were taken by Professor Herdman while tow-netting in 

 the Indian Ocean to the south of Sokotra and eastwards towards Ceylon from 

 January 15 to January 18, 1902 : 



Vibilia viatrix, Bovallius, 2 specimens ; 



Paraphronima gracilis, Claus, 2 specimens; 



Hyperia bengalends (Giles), several specimens; 



Phrosina semilunata, Risso, 1 young male, length 2 millims. ; 



Anchylomera blossevillei, M. Emv., a considerable number of specimens: 



Sympronoe parva, Claus, 1 male specimen. 



CLASSIFIED LIST OF SPECIES IN THE COLLECTION. 



The capital letters affixed to the names of the species in the list below indicate 

 pails of the coast of Ceylon, as follows : 



(A), south of Karativo to Colombo (Stations I. to V. and LXVI. to LXIX.). 



(B), north of Karativo to Kodramallai Point (Stations VI. to VIII. and LVI. 



to LX.). 

 (C), north of Kodramallai to Bengalli (Stations IX. to XVII., XLVII. to LIL, LV., 



and LXI. to LXV.). 



