VOL. XII, PP. 53-55 MARCH 24, 1898 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



TWO NEW ISOPODS OF THE GENUS IDOTEA FROM 

 THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA.* 



BY JAMES E. BENEDICT, 



Assistant Curator, Division of Marine Invertebrates, U. S. National Museum. 



The two species described in this paper come within the limits 

 of Idotea as recognized by E. J. Miers in his monograph of the 

 Idoteidse.f If several more species are found with the epimeral 

 characters of Idotea carinata Lucas and I. rostrata here described, 

 the former species may become the type of a distinct genus. 

 At present the division would, in my opinion, be unwarranted. 



Idotea rostrata sp. nov. 



This species is probably more nearly related to Idotea carinata Lucas t 

 than to any other described Idotea. 



The head is excavated in front ; the antero-lateral angles are rounded 

 and upturned. The eyes are lateral, large and very slightly projecting. 

 Above the eyes the head is elevated. The head projects forward on the 

 median line forming a tubercular rostrum. In the larger specimen the 

 occipital suture is an irregular impressed line ; the entire surface of the 

 head is minutely rugose. The articles of the peduncle of the antenna are 

 short and stout ; the length of any article not being more than two or two 

 and one-half times its greatest width. The flagellum on one side is com 

 posed of seven stout and distinct segments, on the other side of six. 



* Published by permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institu 

 tion. 



t Journ. Linn. Soc. Lond., XVI, pp. 1-88, 1883. 



J Lucas, Hist. Nat. des Anim. in Expl. Sci. Algerie, Crust., p. 60, pi. 

 vi, fig. 1, 1849. Miers, Journ. Linn. Soc. Lond., XVI, p. 58, 1883. 



12 BIOL. Soc. WASH., VOL. XII, 1898 (53) 



