60 



somewhat less than If times the length of the carapace. All the dactyli end in 

 a little claw. 



The abdomen of the male consists of seven distinct segments, but the 3rd, 

 4th and 5th move together. 



In life the animal is covered with a coat of mud held together by the hairs 

 above described, the only bare parts being the hand and fingers and part of the 

 arm of the larger cheliped of the male. 



The colours in life are described by Dr. A. R. Anderson as " white with a 

 l)luish tinge, eyes with a slight reddish opalescence." In spirit the bluish tinge 

 is fainter, the eyes are a pale milky yeUow-ochre, and the large hand is ivory- 

 white. 



The dimensions of the largest male are as follows : — 



Length of carajDace ... ... ... 18"5 millim. 



Breadth of carapace ... ... ... 14'5 „ 



Combined length of hand and fingers, along lower border 14"75 „ 

 Combined length of basal joints arm and wrist, along 



upper border ... ... ... 15 „ 



Fifteen specimens were dredged off the Travancore coast at a depth of 430 

 fms. The bottom consisted chiefly of coral (hving and dead). 



Several of the specimens were egg-laden females. The eggs are compara- 

 tively few in number and are large, their diameter being about 1*3 miUim. 



This species is very like Trachycarcinus corallinus, Faxon, which was dredged 

 by the " Albatross " off Panama and the Pacific coast of Mexico, at depths of 

 546 to 695 fathoms. 



It differs from that species in the following particulars : — 



The carapace is more granular, and its lobules are capped by blunt conical 

 spinules, 7iot smooth tubercles ; and its posterior border is finely and irregularly 

 beaded, not dentate. 



The front is deeply cut into 3 spines or prongs of almost equal size, not 

 into 3 teeth of which the middle one is larger than the others. 



The eyes, though very pale, are distinctly pigmented, 7iot devoid of 

 pigment. 



The inner angle of the ^Tist of the smaller cheliped is very strongly spini- 

 form, not unarmed. 



As Mr. Faxon says, Trachycarcinus is very closely related to Trichopelta- 

 rium : in fact, the relation is so close as to make the separation of the two forms 

 almost doubtful. 



