DECAPOD CRUSTACEANS OF THE WEST INDIES 199 



In young animals the scarlet border on the dorsal portion of the 

 carapace extends mesially into the black central area at the level of 

 the posterior pair of light spots, and the anteromedian portion of the 

 posterior orange area characteristic of the adult is replaced by a 

 yellow cupid's bow-shaped area abutting the black. 



Material examined. — The Dominican collections contain 24 males 

 (carapace lengths 9.0-38.8 mm), 23 females (cl 10.1-33.8 mm), and 

 1 juvenile (cl 5.8 mm). The smallest males, sometimes to a carapace 

 length of 11 mm, have the first pleopods vestigial. 



Figure 65. — Gecarcinus lateralis, male (carapace length 37.3 mm) from Dominica station 



97. 



Ecological notes. — Apparently no distinction is made between 

 the two species of Gecarcinus by the population on Dominica although 

 they are perhaps used to a greater extent as food than any other 

 crustaceans on the Island. Our own data on the two are extemely 

 fragmentary. Except for the observation that these land crabs occur 

 at higher elevations than does Cardisoma, little can be said about 

 the adults except that on nights following rains they wander over 

 land and at such times are sought after along roadways and particu- 

 larly in roadside ditches where the vegetation has been cleared. 

 They occur high up on the Cabrits and at elevations of approximately 

 1,000 feet south of Clarke HaU. They get weU up into Antrim Valley 

 and occur in the area around Scotts Head. 



Along the foot of the northern slope of Tarou Cliffs, immediately 

 south of the mouth of the Layou River, the young individuals of 



