REPORT ON THE PYCNOGONIDA. 



73 



Station 325. March 2, 1876. Lat. 36° 44' S., long. 46° 16' W. Depth of the sea, 

 2650 fathoms. Bottom temperature, 70-4° C. Bottom of the sea, grey mud. 



Observations. — Whether I am right or not in considering the specimens collected at 

 Stations 146 and 147 {Colossendeis gracilis, Hoek), Station 298 {Colossendeis media, 

 Hoek), and Station 325 {Colossendeis hrevijies), as three diiferent species can only be ascer- 

 tained by examining a larger number of specimens than are at my disposal. I can only 

 point out here the great affinity of these different specimens. However, I may be per- 

 mitted to state here, that whenever I speak of a specimen as adult, the statement is 

 based on the microscopical examination of transverse sections of the fourth joint of one 

 of the legs. 



Colossendeis minuta, n. sp. (PI. X. figs. 12-14). 



Diagnosis. — Proboscis cylindrical, once and a half the length of the trunk with 

 the abdomen. Lateral processes not widely separated. Palpus once and a half as 

 long as the proboscis, with the last three joints of about the same length. Legs 

 extremely slender, about four and a half times the length of the body. Claw of the leg 

 half as long as the second tarsal joint. 



Description. — 



Only a single specimen of this species was dredged. It is a small animal with a 

 comparatively long proboscis and very slender legs. The body is not extremely slender, 

 there being only small intervals between the lateral processes for the insertion of the 

 legs. The cephalothoracic segment is small and not distinctly divided into a cephalic 

 and a thoracic part. Quite near the front it is furnished with a blunt oculiferous 

 tubercle without eyes. 



The proboscis is nearly cylindrical, it is a little swollen in the middle, and the mouth 

 is small and triangular. The abdomen is small ; it is connected with the last thoracic 

 joint by a true articulation. 



The palpus is slender, but not extremely long, being only once and a fourth as long as 

 the proboscis. The third joint is only a little longer than the fifth. I have given a 

 drawing of joints six to ten in fig. 13. The last three joints together are longer than the 

 seventh ; they are of about the same length, and comparatively slender. Beginning 

 with the fifth, all the joints are furnished with short but strong hairs, which have the 

 same shape as those on the legs and o\'igerous legs. 



(ZOOL. CHALL. EXP. — PAET X. — 1881.) K 10 



