90 



transversely squamo-rugulose, but the wrinkles are so tine that they are 

 sometimes hard to be made out by the unaided eye ; at the inner angle of the 

 carpus is a coarse blunt tooth instead of the usual spine ; the dactylus of both 

 chelee is about as long as the palm, and in the larger chelae is (particularly in 

 the adult male) arched so as to meet the fixed finger only at tip. 



Legs strong, shorter than the smaller cheliped ; the spines of the dactyli 

 are remarkably strong, and the anterior border of the carpi and both borders of 

 the propodite are very strongly serrate. 



In an adult male the carapace is H inch long, 2 inches broad, and Hths 

 inch deep. 



The nearest relative of this Travancore species is undoubtedly P. luguhris, 

 from the Himalayas. 



In P. luguhris and all its varieties the epigastric crests form an obtuse 

 angle with the post-orbital ci-ests and are separated from them by a vague 

 break, and the fixed finger of the chelae is not so broad at base ; there are no 

 other constant differences between the two species. 



1779-87 c T ]■ T M ) 3 (J, 3 9, 6 non-adults 



-^^^ . b. Incha. Travancore Museum. | (types included). 



From P. jacqmmontii the al)Ove species is easily distinguished Ijy the 

 cervical groove, which meets the antero-lateral border of the carapace at|a point 

 well l)ehind the lateral epibranchial tooth, on either side. 



Group II. The epigastric and post-orl)ital crests are incompletely or 

 indistinctly (sometimes very indistinctly) separated from one another. 



I. Carapace distinctly oval in outline, the antero-lateral borders sharply defined 

 and subcristiform or cristiform ; lateral epibranchial tooth obsolete : — 



i. Antero-lateral borders of carapace irregularly crenulate, not cristiform. P. edentula. 

 ii. Antero-lateral borders of carapace regularly crenulate, cristiform . P. napwa. 

 II. Carapace not distinctly oval in outline, the antero-lateral borders not sharply 

 pinched-off from the general surface : — 



i. External orbital tooth broad and blunt; lateral epibranchial tooth 

 small and blunt, or obsolescent ; general plane of carapace flat : — 



1. Carapace not emphatically flat, its depth nearly equals half its 



length . . . - . • ■ . /'. lugubris. 



2. Carapace flat mnt: phraxe, its depth much less than half its 

 length : — 



a. Propodites of legs remarkably serrate ; fingers of chela? 

 remarkably broad . . . . . P. falcidigitis. 



b. Propodites of legs reasonably serrate ; fingers of chelae 

 reasonably broad . . . . . .P. plauta. 



ii. External orbital tooth subacute ; lateral epibranchial tooth sharp, of 

 fair size ; general plane of carapace somewhat convex . . P. /uirpa.r. 



iii. External orbital tooth subacute ; lateral epibranchial tooth large, 



prominent, sharp ; general plane of carapace tumid . . .P. masoniana. 



