184 Lieut.-CoL Sykes on the Land-crab of the Dukhtin. 



thorax, meeting together in the middle of the shell beyond the cen- 

 tre ; within these impressions, on each side, are two small circular 

 punctures. The first pair of legs are of unequal size, the left-hand 

 claw being the larger ; each is more strongly crenulated than the sides 

 of the shell, the lower edge of the claw itself being notched ; the up- 

 per angle of the wrist is produced into a point, accompanied by several 

 smaller teeth. The tarsi are toothed both internally and externally. 

 The front of the shell is deflexed so as almost to hide the base of the 

 antennae, the exterior pair of which is very small, and composed of 

 only eleven joints, including the three large basal articulations ; this 

 pair of antennae is inserted at the inner angle of the oral cavity. A 

 straight and slightly elevated line runs from the base of the outer 

 antennae ; this is succeeded by a very short transverse piece, with an 

 entire posterior margin, having an obtuse tooth in the centre, which 

 fits into the space left open by the curvature of the terminal joints 

 of the external foot -jaws, which joints are very small ; the third 

 joint of these organs being somewhat hexagonal and much smaller 

 than the 2nd joint, which is oblong. The claws are of the colour of 

 the shell, but the basal joint of the first and the whole of the other 

 legs are much paler- coloured, being of a dirty testaceous brown, 

 with very numerous small transverse black marks. 



The genus Thelphnsa comprises several species of crabs whose ha- 

 bits differ considerably from those of the majority of the brachyurous 

 Crustacea. The type, Telph.fluviatilis, resides, as the specific name 

 implies, in the rivers and fresh waters of the South of Europe, and an 

 interesting account is given of its economy in the 10th vol. of the 

 ' Encyclopedic Methodique.' It is eaten in summer by the Pope and 

 Cardinals, and other high church dignitaries. It is also found in 

 the rivulets of Mount Athos. M. Leschenault de Latour discovered 

 another species, the T. indica of LatreUle, on the coast of Coroman- 

 del, where it is called by the inabitants of Malabar " Tille Naudon." 

 It frequents situations where the " Manglier" grows ; but in the 

 ' Cours d'Entomologie' this species is also stated to have been found 

 in the mountains of Ceylon, although it is not affirmed to reside out 

 of water. 



PLATE XIX. 



Fig. 1. Thelphnsa cunicuJaris, mag. nat. 



2. Front of the body seen from beneath. 



3. Interior antenna. 



4. Exterior antenna. 



5. Outer foot-jaw. 



6. Abdomen of female. 



