ii6 



DISCOVERY REPORTS 



St. MS 71 . 9. iii. 26. East Cumberland Bay, 9I cables E x S to 1-2 miles E x S of Sappho Point, 

 1 10-60 m. Small beam trawl : i (?, 6 ?$ and immature specimens. 



St. MS 74. 17. iii. 26. East Cumberland Bay, i cable SE x E of Hope Point to 3-1 miles SW of 

 Merton Rock, 22-40 m. Small beam trawl : 3 (J^, i $. 



Remarks. Only one species of this very distinctive genus is known. The holotype of 

 A. glociale, a female from the Ross Sea area, has four bluntly conical tubercles on the 

 mid-dorsal surface of the body and a pair of more acutely conical projections on the 

 first coxa of each leg, the first excepted as the anterior one is absent. 



Fig. 63. Austrodecus gladale, Hodgson. Male: a. Palp: xioo. 

 b. Third leg— St. WS 228: :■, 60. c. Same— St. 53: :•; 100 

 (Group I) 



Fig. 64. Austrodecus glaciale, Hodgson. Male: a. 

 Femur of third leg — Terra Nova collection (Groupl). 

 b. Third leg — St. 27 (Group II): < 60. 



The numerous specimens in the Discovery collection fall into two groups. In the 

 first group, which is represented by a relatively small proportion of individuals, there 

 are either low conical, or high slender spinose projections on the mid-dorsal surface. 

 Those specimens with high spinose projections have a similar arrangement of the coxal 

 processes as in the holotype. Those specimens with lower, more robust, conical pro- 

 jections on the trunk have the coxal projections arranged as follows : a posterior one on 

 the first coxa of each of the two anterior pairs of legs and an anterior one on the first 

 coxa of each of the two posterior pairs of legs (in addition there is sometimes a very small 

 posterior projection on the coxa of each third leg). 



The second group, which includes the bulk of the material, is characterized by (i) the 

 complete absence of any tubercles or processes on the dorsal surface of the trunk in 



