Narrative of Bahama Expedition. 123 



■ceeding the body in length. Like the ambulatory legs, this 

 rostrum is armed with a row of thorn-like spines on either 

 side. The chelipeds are greatly elongated and equal in size. 

 Numbers of these spider-like crabs were caught on the piling 

 around an old wharf, which seemed to be their favorite resort. 

 Some dexteritv was required in their capture, but a skillful 

 use of the crab-net resulted in an extensive series. Macro- 

 ccvluuia trispiiwsa (Latr.). although belonging to the maioid 

 group of Crustacea, is as different from the last in general 

 appearance as it well could be, having an exceedingly heavy 

 body and short legs, each terminating in a strong hooked claw. 

 The space between the eyes is very great, and the eyes them- 

 selves small and bead-like. 



Pericera cormita ctvlata (A. M. E.) has two divergent spines 

 on the rostrum, and the body covered with curved filaments 

 resembling booklets, doubtless of service in attaching foreign 

 substances to the carapace for purposes of concealment. One 

 species of Othonia was secured, with curiously excavated 

 chelae, and five species of the genus JMithrax. the largest being 

 M. hispidiis (Herbst.) of a rich reddish brown color, with very 

 strong curved spines on the lateral margin of the carapace. 

 Mithrax forceps Milne Edw. has very slender fingers to the 

 cheia% and a peculiar conical tooth on the inner face of the 

 movable finger, in which it resembles J/, coroiiatus (Herbst.). 

 The habit so prevalent among maioid crabs of covering them- 

 selves with foreign substances for concealment, is well illus- 

 trated by our specimens of JMicrophrys hicorniitus (Latreille), 

 which has the carapace covered with a dense growth of a 

 tilamentous alga intermixed with sand and bits of broken shell. 



One of the most striking crustaceans in the collection is 

 Platxlanibnis scrralits (M. Edw.), a species widely distributed 

 in the West Indian region. The chelipeds are remarkably 

 developed, each one probably equaling the body in bulk. 

 They are greatly flattened and armed along both edges with 

 sharp spines. The hand especiall}- is greatly elongated, tri- 

 angular in section, and enlarged at its distal end. upon which 

 are inserted the small black claws. When folded, the spines 



