32 

 Aeachnodkojiia, Alcock. 



Amchnodromia, Alcock, Investigator Deep Sea Brachyura, p. 17, and Joarn. Asiatic Soc. Beugal, LXVJII., pt. 

 2, 1899, p. 130. 



Carapace elongate-oblong but somewhat broader behind than in front, deep, 

 inflated, tomentose, its texture thin but well calcified : two creases break either 

 lateral border, the posterior one being the more distinct and being continued to 

 the cardiac region ( = branchial groove), the anterior one, or true cervical groove, 

 not proceeding far on to the dorsum of the carapace. The front is horizontal, 

 prominent, and deeply bifid. 



The antennule and eye of either side are completely retractile into a common 

 deep fossa (just as in Droviia) which affords them complete protection. As in 

 Dromia, the floor of this common antennular-orbital fossa is formed by a sub- 

 ocular (" antennal ") tooth in contact with the basal joint of the antenna, and, as 

 in Dromia, the outer wall of the orbit is breached by a wide gap. The orbital 

 portion of the fossa, Avhicli is loosely filled by the eyes, has the hollow for the 

 eyes much deeper than the hollow for the eyestalk. The eyestalks are slender, 

 the eyes small but jDerfectly formed and well pigmented. 



The two basal joints of the antenniB, which are (juite freely movable, largely 

 fill the gap in the lower wall of the orbit, and lie in the same plane with the 

 antennules ; the second joint has its antero-external angle produced to form a 

 coarsish spine : the antennal flagella are longer than the carapace. 



The palate is particularly well demarcated from the epistome and is rather 

 broader in front than behind : the ridges that define the expiratory canals are 

 very distinct. The epistome is in the closest possible contact mth the front, but 

 without complete fusion. The external maxillipeds are distinctly operculiform, 

 but owing to the moderate expansion of the merus and to the coarseness of the 

 palp, they have a slight pediform cast : they close the buccal cavern, but not so 

 tightly as in Dromia. 



The chelipeds are equal and are rather slender, though considerably stouter 

 than the legs : the fingers are well calcified and are hollowed oi cuiJJere, the tip 

 of the dactylus shuts into a notch in the tip of the opposed finger. 



The legs are cylindrical : the first two pairs are very long, the last two are 

 short, subdorsal in position, and cheliform rather than subcheliform. 



The sternal grooves of the female end opposite the openings of the oviducts, 

 without tubercles. 



The abdomen of both sexes consists of seven distinct segments. In both 

 sexes the pleura of the 3rd-6th abdominal somites are remarkably free and in- 

 dependent {i.e., not in contact with those in front and behind) and the last abdo- 

 minal tergum is nearly as long as the preceding five combined. 



