562 BULLETIN 152, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



pletely filled by the stout eyes; two superior notches in margin, and 

 a broader notch below on outside. Basal article of antenna narrow, 

 reaching a process of front and closing the orbital hiatus. Outer 

 maxiUipeds much smaller than buccal cavity; the exognath half the 

 width of the endognath. Chelipeds unequal, long and strong, the 

 arm reaching far beyond the carapace; spinulous. Legs long and 

 narrow, spinulous; dactyli long. Abdomen of male with third to 

 fifth segments fused. 



Contains only one species. 



MELYBIA THALAMITA Stimpson 



Plate 230 



Melybia ihalamita Stimpson, Bull. Mus..Comp. Zool., vol. 2, 1871, p. 144 (type- 

 localities, off French Reef, 15 fathoms, and west of Tortugas, 35-42 fathoms; 

 cotypes not extant). — A. Milne Edwards, Crust. Reg. Mex., 1880, p. 275. 



Melybia forceps A. Milne Edwards, Crust. R^g. Mex., 1880, p. 274, pi. 49, 

 fig. 1-le (type-locality, Abrolhos Islands, Brazil; type in M. C. Z.). 



Diagnosis. — Orbits and eyes large. Outer maxillipeds much smaller 

 than buccal cavity. Chelipeds large. Legs slender. 



Description. — Surface covered with a short, thin pubescence; cara- 

 pace nearly even, minutely granulate. Median notch of front 

 large, V-shaped; lobes obhque, margin nearly straight, subentire. 

 Inner-upper tooth of orbit sub triangular; margin of orbit minutely 

 crenulated; space between superior notches arcuate; outer point, in 

 line with lateral margin of carapace, not at all produced. Immedi- 

 ately behind is the first antero-lateral tooth; teeth spiniform, acu- 

 minate; first and fourth small, second and third large; the first is 

 sometimes bifid at tip, and in small specimens is altogether absent. 



Merus of chelipeds armed with spines on upper and inner margin. 

 Carpus spinulous on outer surface; three spines along inner margin, 

 the middle one the longest, the one nearest the palm a little above 

 the margin. Manus with a double row of spines above. Fingers 

 two-thirds as long as palm, heavy, broad, compressed, grooved; 

 prehensile edges furnished with shallow teeth; dactyl shghtly rough- 

 ened on its superior carina toward the proximal end. Ambulatory 

 legs sparsely long-hairy; merus with a row of spines on upper margin 

 and in the first three pairs one spine near distal end of lower margin. 

 Dactylus nearly as long as propodus. 



Color.— In some preserved specim.ens, the ambulatory legs show 

 broad transverse bands of dark mottled with light. 



Measurements. — Male (7774), total length of carapace 6.9, total 

 width of same 9.8, fronto-orbital width 8.2, width of front 3.7 mm. 



Variation. — Stimpson notes a smooth variety; this is equivalent 

 to M. forceps A. Milne Edwards. 



Range. — Florida Straits to Brazil. 



Material examined. — See table page 563. 



