Boone, Crustacea, Cruises of "Eagle" and " Ara," 1921-28 213 



or thereabouts, the young crabs return to the land and soon after 

 disappear into the brush. When they first leave the sea they are 

 more reddish than violet, but the first moult after leaving the sea 

 they become violaceous. Mystery surrounds the moulting of these 

 crabs. It is really unknown whether they retire to the safety of their 

 burrows for this ecdysis, or whether it takes place simultaneously 

 with the breeding season, when they go down to the sea. Careful 

 search over a period of eight months, August to May, in southern 

 Florida failed to reveal a single shed, either on land or sea. Nor 

 could I find a single native who could enlighten me on this point. 



Technical description: Carapace transversely cordate, decidedly 

 convex from front to back; greatest width across the median gastric 

 region equal to one and one-sixth times the length; lateral borders 

 tumid. The anterolateral margin is defined by a carinate line which 

 begins at a denticle just behind the orbital angle ; this line becomes 

 less distinct with age. The mesogastric and cardio-intestinal regions 

 are sharply delineated by grooves. The interorbital space is equiva- 

 lent to two-fifths of the frontal width of the carapace and is rela- 

 tively straight, with a carinate edge which is continuous with the 

 sinous superior orbital margin, which extends to the acute postorbital 

 tooth; the greatest height of the orbit is equal to three-fifths of its 

 length ; the lower orbital margin is a carinate line. The sides of the 

 front are oblique. The pterygostomian region is densely tomentose. 



The antennulae are small and fold obliquely beneath the frontal 

 margin. 



The antennae have the basal article greatly enlarged, squarish, with 

 the lateral margins a little convex and the distal one emarginate for 

 the reception of the second article, which is much smaller; the basal 

 article fits within the inner orbital sinus and touches the frontal mar- 

 gin. The flageUum is minute, hair-like. 



The buccal cavern is elongate, squarish, one-sixth higher than wide. 

 The external maxillipeds are well separated, the mandibles showing 

 through the rhomboidal space between. The exognath is rod-like, 

 densely tomentose, reaching to two-fifths the length of the merus ; the 

 ischium is a trifle longer than the merus, subquadrate, the inner lateral 

 margins oblique, an oblique near the inner margin; the merus is 

 roughly quadrate-oval, set a little obliquely when in repose, the inner 

 margin rounded slightly more than the outer; the palp, which is 

 almost entirely exposed, arises from near the outer distal angle of 



