NOTES, 225 



XXII., 1888), nor in the same author's work on the Crustacea 

 of the Malay Archipelago (Decapoden des Indischen Archipels, 

 1892), nor in Dr. J. R. Henderson's Contribution to Indian 

 Carcinology (Trans. Linn. Soc, London, vol. V., part 10, 1893). 

 It was described from Mauritius under the name Melia tresselata 

 by H. Milne Edwards in 1834 (Hist. Nat. Crust., Paris, vol. I., 

 p. 431, pi. 18, f. 8) and figured though without the actinians. Its 

 correct name is Melia tessellata (Latreille) and a capital figure of 

 •t is given by L. A. Borradaile in his Report on the Marine 

 Crustaceans in Stanley Gardiner's Fauna and Geography of the 

 Maldive and Laccadive Archipelagoes, vol. I., Cambridge, 1903, 

 p. 249. 



Borradaile places this crab in the subfamily Menippin^ of the 

 family Xanfchidae and points out that its habit of holding actinians 

 was noted in 1880 by Richter in Mobius' Meeresfauna, Mauritius, 

 but since then the fact has been generally overlooked. 



Probably both crab and actinians benefit by the association, the 

 actinians enjoying an increased mobility and the crab sheltering 

 and defending itself with the living gloves with which it is 

 provided ; all sea-anemones, coral polyps, hydroid polyps, and 

 medusae possess microscopic weapons of offence called urticating 

 or stinging threads, and no doubt these come into play in this case 

 when occasion requires it, although I was unable to detect their 

 presence by the sense of touch. On this subject I may quote from 

 Mr. Borradaile's work {I.e., p. 250). He says : " The object of this 

 habit is not known, but it is certainly a voluntary act on the part 

 of the crab, for the actinian is not attached, but held between the 

 fingers of the Melia, and, if it be taken away, will be again seized. 

 Usually there is an anemone in each hand, but sometimes one or 

 both hands are empty. The actinians, which are grasped firmly 

 round the middle below the tentacles, may be useful, by means of 

 their stinging cells, either for defence or to ' fish. ' for food with, 

 or perhaps for both purposes. The chelipeds are slender and 

 feeble, ill-suited for defence, but at the same time mobile and 

 well adapted to wield the anemones they carry, and, if the crab be 

 threatened, it will stretch out its arms towards the aggressor, as 

 though it would ward him off with the disagreeable obstacles it 

 thus presents to his attack." 



The crab from Weligama is small, measuring only 10mm. in 

 width between the lateral angles of the carapace ; the actinians 

 are retained in position in the preserved state, but the ground- 

 colour has darkened to a reddish brown. 



Finally, it must be mentioned that two other species of Melia 

 have been recorded from these seas by Major Alcock, namely, M. 



