Boone, Crustacea, Cruises of ''Eagle" and "Ara," 1921-28 87 



Its mouthparts and gill structures present an astonishing phase of 

 Decapod evolution. 



The "Ara" specimen is one of the youngest on record and is in 

 excellent condition. 



Synonymy. — Polycheles sculptus S. I. Smith, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 vol. II, p. 269, 1880. — E. L. Bouvier, Res. Campag. Sci., Monaco, 

 Fasc. L., p. 51, pi. Ill, fig. 1 (colored), 1917 (with full syn- 

 onymy). 



Family: PALINURIDAE. 



Genus: PANULIRUS J. E. Gray. 

 Pannlirus laevicauda Latreille. 



Plate 24. 



Diagnostic characters : This species is readily distinguished from 

 its American allies by: (1) its distinctive, exquisitely rich moss green 

 and maroon coloration; (2) the short proximal joint of the an- 

 tennulae; (3) the shape of the epistome, particularly the anterior 

 margin of the latter; (4) the fact that its abdominal segments are 

 smooth dorsally, not having a transverse groove. 



Type: Latreille 's type came from "the shores of Brazil" and is 

 deposited in the National Museum d 'Historic Naturelle, Paris. 



Distribution : This species is abundant in Brazil and is commonly 

 sold in the markets of that country. It has also been reported from 

 French Guiana, one or two stations along the east coast of Central 

 America and more rarely from the Isle of Pines and southern Cuba 

 and Florida at Key West and Bay Biscayne. 



Material examined: One specimen taken in the Bay Biscayne, near 

 Miami, Florida, January, 1923, by the "Ara," William K. Vanderbilt, 

 commanding. 



Color : The carapace is maroon, the spines of the carapace are green 

 with a purplish-maroon base, except those on the lateral margin, which 

 are set in a light creamy buff base. Orbital spines purple, mottled 

 with light creamy buff; the convex ridge below the orbital spines is 

 yellow anteriorly, shading into deep orange posteriorly. 



The antennal peduncle is maroon, mottled sparsely with creamy 

 buff. The spines have the basal half deeper maroon than elsewhere, 

 ringed medially with cream, the distal half green. The flagellnm is 

 lighter purple, streaked ventrally and dorsally with a median longi- 

 tudinal darker line. 



