NYMPHONIDAE 



53 



Third leg. Second coxa a little longer than the sum of the other two. Femur shorter 

 than either tibia ; gland openings very minute, and numerous (exceeding twenty in the 

 larger males) on proximal mid- ventral surface; raised gland tubercles absent. Second 

 tibia the longest segment. Tarsus and propodus elongated, subequal; in adults the 

 tarsus is longer than, in immature forms a little shorter than the propodus (see Table V). 

 Claw long, subequal to propodus in immature specimens, appreciably shorter than, 

 occasionally less than half of, propodus in adults (see Table V) ; auxiliaries absent. The 

 legs, as a rule, appear smooth or very slightly setose to the eye. 



Table V 



* The immature forms decrease gradually in size, the last measures only 4-4 mm. from 

 front of cephalon to tip of abdomen, the first is approximately twice as long. 



Remarks. This species is exceedingly common on the western side of the Antarctic 

 and is also one of the largest of the genus (trunk length up to 18-5 mm.). The Discovery 

 specimens agree in most respects with Bouvier's description (1913, p. 81) ; but the femur 

 of the male is similar to that of the female, not dilated (see Caiman, 19 15, p. 29). 



Very few specimens have been collected on the eastern side. The three Terra Nova 

 specimens from St. 294 (Caiman, 1915, p. 29) differ from the Discovery specimens of 

 the same size (length of trunk 12-13 mm.) in the following respects: (i) the legs are 

 clothed with numerous fine setae, (2) there are only 30 or 31, instead of 41-44 denti- 

 culate spines on the oviger, and (3) the fingers of the chela are armed with 70-85 instead 

 of 90-110 spinules. These three specimens are closely related to, if not identical with, 

 the types of A^. lanare, Hodgson (see also Loman, 1923, p. 15). Unfortunately the type 

 specimens of Hodgson's species are immature, but they differ from immature N. charcoti 

 (South Georgia region) precisely in the three above-mentioned respects. These 

 differences seemed to point to the existence of a distinct variety or race peculiar to the 

 Ross Sea area, but the Terra Nova specimen from St. 349 proved to be identical with 

 the typical N. charcoti from the Western Antarctic region. Until more material is 

 available from the eastern region it seems advisable to refer the three Terra Nova 

 specimens (St. 249) to N. lanare, Hodgson, and to retain the name N. lanare for those 

 specimens that have 10-13 fewer denticulate spines on the oviger, 20-25 fewer spinules 

 on each finger of the chela, and more hairy legs than N. charcoti. 



