j^j, DISCOVERY REPORTS 



The form of the coxal plates agrees with Miers's description as far as it goes, but the median 

 ventral extensions (Text-fig. 2), already referred to as a character of the members of the suborder 

 Valvifera, were overlooked by him. The penes are placed on the articular membrane between the 

 last thoracic and first abdominal segment, near the anterior margin of the latter. The palp of the 

 maxilliped (Text-fig. 3*) is, according to Stebbing, only very indistinctly four-jointed. On p. 63 

 (1902) he said: 'the dividing line between its second and third joints is only faintly discernible, except 

 at the edges.' In my preparation this suture is quite well defined. 



Distribution. This species appears to be a shallow-water form, it has been recorded from depths 

 ranging from 12 to 36 m. With the exception of Milne-Edwards's type specimen collected off the 

 coast of Malabar, all the records are from oflF the coast of South Africa. Meneville's specimen occurred 

 at the Cape of Good Hope, Stebbing's was collected in Hout Bay, and those of the Discovery col- 

 lections from Houtjes Point, Saldanha Bay and Walvis Bay. 



Text-fig. 3. Appendages oi Idotea indica. (a) Seventh pereiopod, ,^, x 12. (6) Left maxilliped, o> x 12. 

 cJ, X 12. (d) Sixth pereiopod, '+', x 12. (e) Seventh pereiopod, $, x 12. 



(c) Sixth pereiopod, 



Idotea me tallica Bosc, 1802 



/. metallica Bosc. 1802, p. 179, pi. xv, fig. 6; Latreille, 1803, p. 373. 



I. peloponesiaca Roux, 1828, pi. xxx, figs. 10-12. 



/. atrata Costa, 1838, pi. xl. fig. 3. 



/. rugosa Milne-Edwards, 1840, p. 131. 



/. rohiista Kroyer, 1846, p. 108, pi. xxvl, fig. 3; Harger, 1880, p. 349, pi. 6, figs. 30-32. 



/. compacta White, 1847, p. 95. 



/. algirica Lucas, 1849, p. 61, pi. vi, fig. 2. 



/. argentea Dana, 1852, p. 698, pi. 46, fig. i. 



/. metallica Miers, 1881, p. 35; Dollfus, 1895, p. 8, fig. 24; Norman, 1904, p. 443; Tattersall, 1904, p. 50; Stebbing, 



1910, p. 108; Tattersall, 191 1, p. 224, fig. 116; Barnard, 1914a, p. 203; Vanhofi"en, 1914; CoUinge, 1917, p. 746. 

 Idothea metallica Richardson, 1905, p. 362, 3 figs.; Nordenstam, 1933, p. 94; Gurjanowa, 1933, p. 434. 



Occurrence. St. 673: 25. vi. 31. 38° loi' S., 30" lof W. to 38° 03!' S., 29° 48' W., 340-0 m., i S- St. 700: 

 18. V. 31. 20" 2i-i' N., 22° 32i' W., o m., 2 J(3', I ? (breeding). 



