1880.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 18T 



CAKCINOLOGICAL NOTES, No. IV.— SYNOPSIS OF THE GRAPSID.ffi:. 



BY J. S. KINQSLEY. 



The following paper is a continuation of my studies of the 

 Catometopa contained in the Museum of the Academj- of Natural 

 Sciences of Philadelphia. In it I have endeavored to embrace 

 every known species of the family with sufficient references to 

 their geographical distribution. To aid in the identifications of 

 species I have compiled anal3'tical tables for most of the genera, 

 but descriptions are given of onl}- those species of which I, have 

 examined specimens. I have reduced considerably the number 

 of nominal species, but believe that I am fully wan-anted in rele- 

 gating to synon3'my mau}^ so-called species founded on size, color, 

 geographical distribution, or variations of minor importance. All 

 localities from which I have examined specimens are marked with 

 an exclamation point (!). The classification employed is mainly 

 that of Dana, in the U. S. Exploring Expedition Crustacea (1852) ; 

 those of Milne-Edwards (Annales des Sciences Naturelles, III 

 Series, Zoologie, tome xx, pp. 163-200, 1853), and Kossmann 

 (Zoologische Ergebnisse, Reise in die Kiistengebiete des rothen 

 Meeres, 18YT), being comparatively'- worthless. Owing to the 

 limited amount of space at my disposal, the synonymy and bibli- 

 ography have been condensed as far as possible. 



Family GRAPSID.31 Dana. {Ora-psoidiem M. Edw.). 



Carapax subquadrate, depressed. Front generally broad. Eyes 

 short. Antennulge transversely plicate. Epistome short, some- 

 times linear. Meros of the external maxillipeds bearing the palpus 

 at the summit or at its external angle. Second joint of the abdo- 

 men of the male nearly as wide as the adjacent portion of the 

 sternum. 



The Orapsidee are all inhabitants of the temperate or tropical 

 waters, and generally \i\Q near the shores. A few, however (e.g. 

 Nautilograpsus and Varuna)^ live on the high seas. The family- 

 may conveniently be di^nded into two^ sub-families, by characters 

 derived from the antennae. In the Grapsinse the antennae are 



' The characters given by Dana for the Sesarraiuae I do not consider of 

 sufficient importance to warrant its retention as a sub family, and would 

 rather consider it as a group of the Grapsinse. 



