22 



be of different size, while only in Pol. Tanneri Fax. it is reduced to a mere rudiment; those 

 of the thoracic legs are normal epipods, ascending into the branchial chamber. 



The genus Polycheles Heller contains at present i 7 species, the majority of which occur 

 in the Indopacific. The first described species of all living Eryonidae, Pol. typhlops Heller, 

 is also one of the most widely distributed of all : this species, indeed, does not only occur in 

 the Mediterranean, from the south coast of Asia Minor to the west and south coast of Sardinia, 

 in the Eastern Atlantic, off the south-west coast of Ireland, between Iceland and the Hebrides 

 {Pol. mtermedms Balss) and in the West-Indies [Pol. Agassizii (A. M.-Edw.)), but it has even 

 been recorded, under the name of PcntacJielcs Hexfii, from the Arabian Sea and the Andaman 

 Sea, while a fine adult female and a 3'oung specimen have been collected by the "Siboga" in 

 the Bali Sea. Pol. eryonifor»iis Bouv., the carapace of which is much dilated, like that of the 

 Jurassic species of Eryon, was obtained by the "Princesse-AHce", south of Madeira, Pol. diibms 

 Bouv., which is regarded by Selbie to be a synonym of Pol. granulatns Fax., near the Azores, 

 the Cape Verde Islands and off the coast of Spain, while a variety armata Bouv. of Pol. 

 debilis (S. I. Smith) has been taken at the Azores and off the coast of Morocco. This Pol. 

 debilis (S. I. Smith) occurs off the East coast of the United States, while Pol. crticifer (Will.- 

 Suhm), a form collected by the "Challenger" expedition off Sombrero Island and the carapace 

 of which is marked by a cruciform line, and Pol. validus (A. M.-Edw.) are found in the West- 

 Indies. The Gulf of Panama and the coasts of the Galapagos Islands are inhabited by two 

 species, viz. Pol. Tanneri Fax. and Pol. gratiulaius Fax., of which the former by the small 

 number (21 or 22) of spines, with which the lateral margins of the carapace are armed, by 

 the median dorsal ridge being smooth and presenting a definite number of spines and by the 

 feeble development of the epipods, shows some relationship with the genus Stereomastis., while 

 the latter is also known from the Hawaiian Islands, from off Colombo [Pol. Beau?notitii Alcock), 

 from the Cape of Good Hope and from off the southwest coast of Ireland. The 9 other species 

 occur all in the Indopacific. Besides Pol. typhlops Heller and Pol. gr'amilatus Fax., still two 

 other species are found in the Indian Ocean north of the Equator, viz. Pol. gibbns (Alcock) 

 and Pol. Carpcntcri (Alcock); of the latter a fine adult male was taken by the "Siboga" oft" 

 the Sangir Islands. Pol. lacvis (Sp. Bate), a form remarkable by the smooth surface of carapace 

 and abdomen, as also by the median dorsal ridge of the carapace presenting only two small 

 spines, was taken by the "Challenger" between Samboangan and New Guinea, south-east of 

 the Philippine Islands, but also west of Valparaiso, while north of New Guinea the immature 

 and probably young type specimen of Pol. obsawtis (Sp. Bate) was obtained. Three species, 

 Pol. baccatns (Sp. Bate), Pol. gracilis (Sp. Bate) and Pol. cuthrix (Will.-Suhm), were captured 

 south of the Philippine Islands, the first form occurs, however, also in the Bali Sea, two fine 

 specimens having been taken by the "Siboga". The two last species, finally, Pol. asper Rathb. 

 and Pol. Snyderi Rathb., are found at the Hawaiian Islands. 



The depth at which these species have been taken, varies rather much, I refer for it 

 to the List of the species of Eryonidae at page 471, from which we learn that Pol. validtis 

 (A. M.-Edw.) has been captured at the greatest depth, namely 1591 fathoms. 



