90 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vol. XIY, 



it is for the most part smooth and shining with a very fine microscopic 

 granidation. Near the antero-lateral borders it is conspicuously tuber- 

 cular, the tubercles takinii the form of short transverse rugae, rather 

 larger than in P. fealianum. In the latter species the sub-branchial 

 regions are not visible in dorsal view beyond the antero-laterai border. 

 In P. curtobates, much as in P. abbotti and P. inornatum, these regions are 

 inflated and are visible from above up to the point where the carapace 

 is broadest. The sub-branchial regions are covered with coarse rugae 

 that extend a short distance over the postero-lateral border. 



The epigastric and post-orbital crests together form a common 

 curve. The former are swollen and are rounded in front, without the 

 sharp edge seen in P. pealianuni. They are almost entirely smooth and 

 extend further forwards than in the allied species, projecting considerably 

 beyond a transverse line joining the posterior limits of the orbits. The 

 post-orbital crests are separated from the epigastric by a conspicuous 

 furrow and are very deep in frontal view ; they are obscurely rugose 

 near the cervical groove and beyond this point break up into coarse 

 rugae, the foremost of those on the epibranchial region. The post-orb- 

 ital crests are situated very close to the orbits, the base of the declivity 

 almost touching the inner corner of the upper orbital margin. 



The front is strongly deflexed with a broad and shallow median 

 emargination. The edge itself, as in P. pealianum, is concealed in dorsal 

 view by a pair of large post-frontal eminences. These eminences are 

 coarsely pitted and bear fine transverse grooves, they are not, however, 

 tubercular. The median longitudinal furrow that separates the epi- 

 gastric crests is continued forwards on to the front. 



The antero-lateral border of the carapace (text-fig. 3«) is more 

 strongly arched than in P. pealianum and is closely serrate throughout 

 with a prominent epibranchial tooth. 



Both upper and lower orbital borders are smooth. The external 

 orbital tooth is small but acute and is separated from the lower orbital 

 border by a wide and inconspicuous emargination. The antennular 

 fossae are narrower and more cramped than in P. pealianmn. The 

 ischium of the external maxillipedes (text-fig. 36) is grooved in the 

 usual way and is covered with coarse pits bearing stiff hairs. The 

 merus is similarly pitted, especially on its thickened postero-internal 

 margin ; it is about as long as broad, narrowed anteriorly and obscurely 

 angled antero-laterally. 



The chelipedes are unequal in both sexes. The merus is finely rugose 

 externally and, of its two lower edges, the inner is tuberculate and the 

 outer finely serrate (coarsely tuberculate in P. pealianmn). In the 

 chelae the lower half of the outer surface of the palm is nearly smooth 

 except for some coarse pitting ; the upper surface is strongly rugulose. 

 The dactylus bears a few tubercles on its dorsal surface near the base. 

 The teeth on the inner margins of the fingers are conspicuous. In the 

 larger chela the fingers gape considerably at the base in all the speci- 

 mens, but not to the extent seen in P. acanthicum. 



The legs are normal in length, those of the second pair being about 

 twice the leng-th of the carapace. They are rather stout, the propodus 

 of the penultimate leg being about two and-a-quarter times and of the 



