158 Natural History Bulletin. 



■deep, pure red,^ a few having 3'ellow markings. I have no 

 recollection of any other species with any considerable amount 

 of blue. Cryptopod/a coiicara Stimp.^ is found both on the 

 Bahama Banks and on the Pourtales Plateau. 



About a dozen species of Cancroid crabs were collected 

 here, representing as many genera. The largest species was 

 Bathyncctes longisp/iia Stimp.. which derives its name from 

 the long spine projecting from the lateral angle of the cara- 

 pace. Four smaller spines are found between it and the eye, 

 and each of the last four joints of the chelipeds bears a spine 

 on its upper front margin. A minute species of Calappa, C. 

 ■angitsta (M. E.), was dredged in about eighty fathoms not far 

 from Kev West. Osochila tiihcrosa Stimp. is peculiar in hav- 

 ing the entire lower surface of the bod}- and mouth-parts cov- 

 ered with irregular pits, giving a hone^-combed appearance. 

 Probablv the most abundant crab on the Pourtales Plateau is 

 the little Cyclodorippc uitida A. M. Edw., which came up b}' 

 the score at nearly every haul in the Gulf Stream. The gen- 

 eral color is bright red, varied with white, and the surface is 

 smooth and glossy. It is one of the species discovered by the 

 *' Blake."' Cyniopolus aspcr A. M. E. is another •' Blake" spe- 

 cies, with an exceedingly hispid surface and a considerable 

 portion of the abdomen visible from above. 



But three species of Anomuran crabs were collected in this 

 rerrion. One was the hermit crab Cciiobita dioo-cjics Latr., 

 almost omnipresent on the sandy keys, especially Sand Key 

 proper, where a bucket full was collected in a short time. 

 The exposed portions of these animals are most brilliantly 

 colored, the large claw being a clear dark blue, while the 

 other exposed feet are bright red. Their favorite habitation 

 seems to be the shell of Asfral/iini ccclatuiu Gmel.. which is 

 abundant here. This is, in fact, a hermit crab which has 

 adopted a terrestrial habit almost, if not quite, as complete as 



iProfcssor Vi-rrill things that the red coUir, on account of the actinic 

 properties of the ]->ale-green light at great depths, is protective, only 

 appearing liright w lien exposed to davliglit. 



-'See p. 51. 



