THE GKAPSOID CRABS OF AMERICA. 331 



Subfamily Plagusiinae Dana. 



Flaijusiacaca Milne Edwakus, Ann. Sci. Nat., Zool., ser. 3, vol. 20, 1853, 



p. 177 [143]. 

 Flarjitsinae Dana, Amer. Journ. Sci., ser. 2, vol. 12, 1851, p. 288; U. S. 



Expl. Exped., vol. 13, Crust., pt. 1, 1852, pp. 129, 333, anil 3G8. 

 Plagusiinae Alcock, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. G9, 1900, pp. 289 and 



297. 



Front cut into lobes or teeth by the antenniiltir fossae, which are 

 visible in a dorsal view as deep clefts. The lower border of the 

 orbit curves down into line with the prominent anterior border of 

 the buccal cavern. The external maxillipeds do not completely close 

 the buccal cavern but they do not leave a wide rhomboidal gap, they 

 are without an oblique hairy crest, their palp articulates near the 

 antero-external angle of the merus, and their slender exposed exog- 

 nath has often no flagellum. Antennal flagella short. The male ab- 

 domen fills all the space between the last pair of legs. 



Genus PLAGUSIAi Latreille. 



Plagusia Latbeille, Gen. Crust, vol. 1, ISOG, p. 33; type, P. dcprcssa 



(Fabricius). 

 Philyra de Haan, Fauna Japou., Crust., 1833, p. 5 ; 1833, p. 31 ; typo, P. 



dcpressa (Fabricius). Not Philyra Leach, 1817, a genus of the 



Leucoslidae. 



Carapace subcircular, depressed, antero-lateral borders toothed. 

 Interorbital space about a third the breadth of the carapace. No 

 true front; the antennular fossae in which the antennulae fold 

 nearly vertically are visible in a dorsal view as deep clefts in the 

 anterior border of the carapace. Inter-antennular septum broad. 

 Orbits deep; the antennae stand in the wide orbital hiatus. 



Epistome short; buccal cavern squarish, its anterior border 

 crenate and projecting strongly in a horizontal direction. The nar- 

 row space between the external maxillipeds is closed by bristles; 

 merus as broad as ischium. 



Chelipeds and legs dorsally rugose. Chelipeds subequal; in the 

 male they are more massive than the legs, and longer than those of 

 first and last pairs; in the female they are shorter and slenderer 

 than any of the legs; fingers stout, with rounded excavated tips. 



Legs very stout, with broad massive meri and short, stout, thorny 

 dactyli. 



Abdomen of male triangular, covering all the sternum between 

 the last pair of legs; the seven segments may be distinct or the third, 

 fourth, and fifth fused. Abdomen of female broad, consisting of 

 seven segments, but the third, fourth, and fifth do not move inde- 

 pendently of one another. 



^Plagusia Brown. 175C, a Rcnus of fishes, was not revived till 1817 by Cuvler, E. 

 Anim., vol. 2, p. 224 (teste Gill). 



