CRUSTACEA MALACOSTRACA. 



37 



Occurrence. The "Ingolf has taken this form at six stations. 



Davis Straits: St. 35: 65° 16' N. L., 55° 05' W. L-, 362 fni., temp. 3-6°; 20 spec. 



— - - 28: 65° 14' — 55° 42' ^ 420 — - 3-5°; 75 — 



- - - 27: 64° 54' — 55° 10' - 393 - - 3-8°; 3 - 

 South-West of Iceland: St. 76: 60° 50' N. L., 26° 50' W. L., 806 fm., temp. 41°; i spec. 

 South of Iceland: St. 67: 61° 30' N. L., 22° 30' W. L., 975 fm., temp. 3-0°; i spec. 



— - — - 63: 62° 40' — 19° 05' — 800 — — 4-0°; I — 



It has also been taken even further north in Davis Straits than any of the localities just 

 mentioned, namely: 65° 36' N. L,., 56° 24' W. L., 349 fm., temp. 3-2°, 5 specimens, (Wandel, 1889). 



Distribution. The species was first observed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 180 — 220 fm. 

 (Whiteaves); later, at a number of places off the east coast of the United States, between 39° and 

 40° N. L. in depths from 384 to 1230 fm. and at 33° t,^'^/\' N. L., 647 fm. Under the name M. longirostris 

 A. M.-Edw. & Bouv. it is noted from the Newfoundland waters, 46° 05' N. L., 49° 02'/2' W. L., 674 fm., 

 also from off the Sudan at about 30° N. L. in 1104 and 1175 fm. (A.Milne-Edwards & Bouvier). — The 

 occurrence of this deep-water species right up to 65° 36' N. L. in the Davis Straits is one of the many 

 indications that the bottom of the deep part of that sea belongs in zoogeographical regards to the 

 Atlantic. It is not improbable further, that this species will prove to have a much greater distribution 

 than is known at present. 



Remark.s. The spiny armature on the gastric area is extremely variable: as a rule there are 

 three spines, namely, one on each side of the middle line and one unpaired somewhat further back 

 (fig. 2 a). Sometimes not one but two unpaired spines occur (fig. 2 c), one behind the other; in one 

 specimen the number of spines mounted to nine (fig. 2 d), namely, three in the median line and three 

 on each side all well-developed except the posterior set of paired spines which were small. In contrast 

 to this I have met with an adult specimen in which the spines, four altogether, the most posterior 

 spine excepted were reduced to fairly low, transverse tubercles (fig. 2 e). One of the largest specimens 

 (from Stat. 28) is a male, in which the carapace measures 25' , mm. to the tip of the rostrum (the 

 rostrum however is in reality 12 mm. and the carapace itself without the rostrum 15 mm. long), while 

 the greatest breadth is 11 '/j nim. 



I have compared a small "Talisman" specimen of M. longirostris taken off the Sudan with one 

 of similar size from the "Ingolf" St. 28 and found the most perfect agreement between them; this 

 specimen agrees fairly well also with the description of M. longirostris by the French authors, but it 

 should be remarked, that I have not seen either in their co-type or in my smaller "Ingolf specimens 

 anything similar to the carapace as figured by them, in which the breadth is considerably greater in 

 front than near to the posterior margin and the process from the front outer angle is long and broad. 



The species stands fairly near to J/ simplex A. jM.-Edw. as was already noted by the French 

 authors, who indicate a number of differences in the "Travailleur" and "Talisman" reports. I have 

 examined one of their co-types of M. simplex from St. Vincent, West Indies and consider it a good 

 species, which in addition to the differences summarised by A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier is distinguished 

 from J/, curvirostris by its longer and more slender chela. 



