124 -UK. C. CHILTON Oy THE 



Scyphax ornatus, Thomson & Chilton, Trans. N. Z. Inst, xviii. p. 158 (1886). 



Scijpha.r ornatus, Budde-Lund, Isopoda Terrestria, p. 233 (1885). 



Sct/pkiM' iiitermedim, Budde-Lund, Isopoda Terrestria, p. 233 (1885). 



? Pki/oxcla v'wlacca, Filhol, Mission de Pile Campbell, Crust, p. 445, pi. liv. fig. 5 (1885). 



Scypluix oruiitiis, Filhol, /. (". p. 443 (1885). 



Scyphax ialiirmedins, Filhol, /. c. p. 444 (1885). 



Scyphax intermedius, Thomson & Chilton, Trans. N. Z. Inst, xviii. p. 158 (]88()). 



Specific desc7Hplton. — Body elliptical, fairly convex, breadth about half the length, 

 sui-face finely gramilar, in smaller specimens sometimes rough with minute sette. 

 Surface of cephalon flat, depressed. Metasome not abruptly narrower than mesosome, 

 epimerte of third to fifth segments of moderate size, last segment triangular, much 

 broader than long, sides concave, extremity bluntly pointed, bearing a few short set* 

 and with a slight depression on its upper surface. 



Eyes very large, crescent-shaped, occupying the whole lateral margins of tlie cephalon 

 and nearly meeting in front ; ocelli very numerous, about 150 to 200, arranged in four 

 longitudinal rows. Antennse about half the length of the body, spiny in small 

 specimens, in large ones with granulations or small tubercles in addition to the 

 small spines ; flagellum as long as the fifth joint of peduncle, which is considerably 

 longer than the fourth, consisting of three joints, the third l)eing followed l)y a minute 

 terminal joint ending in a tuft of short seta?, first joint longer than the second and 

 slightly shorter than the third. Anterior pairs of legs shorter and stouter than tlie 

 posterior pairs, which are rather long, the seventh pair not fully developed till animal is 

 nearly adult. Uropoda with the base large, extending a little beyond the extremity 

 of the terminal segment, lateral border with a distinct keel, rami rather narrow, 

 cylindrical, spinose, the inner one very slightly shorter than tlie outer and not arising 

 much in front of it. 



Colour variegated, irregularly spotted with yellowish red, grey, brownish red or black. 

 Length of largest specimens about 18 mm. 



Habitat. — On sandy shores in the North Island and also from "VVestport. Not found 

 in the south of South Island. 



Bemarks. — This species was described and figured by Dana in 1853, but does not 

 appear to have been recognised since. Miers descril)ed his Scyphax intermedius as a 

 separate species in 1876, being misled by Dana's figure of the whole animal wdiere the 

 margins of the terminal segment of the metasome are not marked and the segment 

 consequently appears much more broadly truncate than it really is. I have seen 

 Miers's type specimen in the British Museum and have no doubt that it is only a large 

 specimen of *S'. oniafus, Dana. Although Eilhol's description and figures are not 

 altogether satisfactory, I have little doubt that his I'liiloscia ciolacea also belongs to 

 this sj)ecies ; the large crescentic eyes clearly show that the species cannot be placed 

 under Fhiloscia. In 1885 Budde-Lund described a species, Scyphax sctiger, from New 

 Caledonia which probably will come near to S. ornatus, Dana, though the eyes seem to 

 contain fewer ocelli and the proportions of the joints of the tlagellum of the antennae 

 are difi^erent. 



Although Dana was undoubtedly dealing with immature specimens when he described 



