DECAPOD A. PARTHENOPID/E. 



BRACHYURA. 



GENUS EURYNOME, Leach. 



Cancer, Pennant. 



EuRVNOME, Leach, Risso, Edwards. 



Generic character. — External anteniice scarcely longer than the 

 rostrum ; the basal jomt triangular, and perfectly united to the 

 surrounding parts ; the second inserted at its apex, at the inner 

 canthus of the orbit, and beneath the rostrum ; second joint larger, 

 but shorter than the third. External pedipalps with the third 

 joint dilated at the outer and emarginate at the inner angle. An- 

 terior pair of legs in the male, larger and much longer than the 

 succeeding ones ; hands long, linear ; fingers inflected. The second 

 to the fifth pairs of legs linear, diminishing regularly in length. 

 Carapace irregularly rhomboidal, produced anteriorly, and much 

 rounded behind, verrucose. Rostrum bifid, the laciniio triangular, 

 flattened, slightly divaricate. Orbits deep, above strongly arched, 

 with a single fissure near the external angle. Eyes retractile, 

 globular, larger than the peduncles, which are short. Abdomen 

 seven-jointed in both sexes. 



This genus is the only British representative of a highly 

 interesting and curious, as well as natural family, agreeing 

 nearly with the genus Partlieno'pe of Fabricius, and com- 

 prising a number of bizarre forms, which have for the most 

 part very long arms and rough, rocky-looking bodies. They 

 form upon the whole, as Milne Edwards has observed, a 

 passage from the triangular families, to the more typical 

 Cancerid.e ; and, like many other small osculant or inter- 

 mediate groups, exhibit many diverse and somewhat isolat- 

 ed forms. Of these the present genus, Eurynome^ may be 

 considered as the most nearly related to the Maiad^, with 

 which family it agrees in the union of the basal joint of 

 the external antenme with the parts surrounding it, as well 

 as in the general form of the body. 



