THE COMMON SHORE CRAB 65 
front is horizontal, broad, lamellate, and projects over the 
antennules and bases of the antenne, which are widely 
excluded from the orbits.’ 
The genera. are Vrapezia, Latreille, 1825, Tetralia, 
Dana, 1851, and Quadrella, Dana, 1851, names indicative 
of the prevailing shape. The species in general are small 
and confined to the warm seas. According tothe Russian 
writer, Paulson, 1875, the lower antennz of J'etralia re- 
quire that the last clause of the above-quoted definition 
should be cancelled. 
Family 3.—Portunide. 
The carapace is depressed, moderately transverse, and 
usually widest at the last antero-lateral marginal spine. 
The ‘front’ is horizontal and not spatuliform (see p. 71). 
The orbits and eye-stalks are of moderate length. The 
spine or tooth at the outer angle of the orbit does not 
project laterally beyond the teeth of the antero-lateral 
margin, of which more than one, usually from five to nine, 
are developed. ‘The last legs of the trunk are commonly 
adapted for swimming, with the seventh joint ovate, flatly 
expanded. 
The Portunidee include about half as many genera as 
the Cancridee. 
Carcinus, Leach, 1813, has the seventh joint of the 
fifth legs narrowly lanceolate. The species Carcinus menus 
(Pennant) is the most obtrusive of all the British Brachyura. 
Its numbers justify its English designation as the Common 
Shore Crab; its extremely vivacious movements and its 
reckless audacity when brought to bay justify its scientific 
title and the corresponding French name for it of Crabe 
enragé. Inthe early part of this century Leach stated that 
it was sent to London in immense quantities and eaten by 
the poor. Professor Stalio says that at the present day 
it is a considerable source of food-supply to the humbler 
classes on the shores of the Adriatic, that in the soft state, 
just after the shedding of the skin, it is welcome at the 
tables of the rich, and that the Istrian fishermen pound it 
up and use it as a most attractive bait tothe sardines. On 
