235 



and this affords another characteristic feature that somewhat reminds of 

 the family OrchestiuJce. On account of the largely-developed coxal plates 

 Sp. Bate associated these forms with the family StegocephalidcB, whereas 

 Dana, at an earlier date, had placed them within his family Leucothoidce. 

 Boeck, however, justly separated the family S/cnothoidce from both these 

 families, with which it, in fact, only shows a remote affinity. The family 

 comprises, as yet, 4 genera, to be treated of in the following pages. 



Gen. 1. Stenothoe, Dana, 1852. 

 8yn : Montagua, Sp. Bate (part). 



Body smooth and shining, now rather short and robust, now more 

 slender of form. Cephalon narrowly truncated in front, lateral corners but 

 little projecting. Coxal plates, as a rule, of moderate size, 1st pair almost 

 entireW concealed, 2nd pair rounded in front, and covering at the sides the 

 oral area, 3rd pair more or less expanded distally, and transversely truncated 

 at the end, 4th pair nearly triangular in form, obtusely produced posteriorly, 

 and covering to a great extent the succeeding pairs, which are rather small, 

 with the posterior lobe much deeper than the anterior. Antennae more or 

 less elongated, and, as a rule, subequal in length. Mandibles without any 

 trace of a palp, molar expansion obsolete. First pair of maxillae with the 

 palp rather large, and distinctly biarticulate, last joint with a row of small 

 spines on the inner edge. Maxillijieds with the basal lobes very small and 

 narrow, distinctly separated to their base, and bearing 2 small apical bristles, 

 palp very elongated, with the claw-like terminal joint finely ciliated inside. 

 Anterior gnathopoda, as a ri\le, much smaller than the posterior, and more 

 or less distinctly subcheliform, meral joint produced at the end interiorly 

 to a setous projection. Posterior gnathopoda lai-ge and powerful, meral 

 joint triangularly produced inferiorly. The 2 anterior pairs of pereiopoda 

 subequal, the 3 posterior ones of moderate length; basal joint of antepenulti- 

 mate pair linear, that of the 2 last pairs laminarly expanded. Last pair 

 of uropoda more or less elongated, and spinous on the upper face. Telson 

 well-defined. 



BemarJiS. — The present genus, established by Dana, may be 

 regarded as the type of the family. It is chiefly distinguished from the 2 suc- 

 ceeding genera by the mandibles being without any trace of a palp, and by 

 the very small basal plates of the maxillipeds. Besides the type species, 



