POItTUNUS. 51 



beautiful, particularly in the males. Buff, light brown, 

 deeper brown, and brownish-red, are arranged over the 

 carapace in varied but always exactly symmetrical patterns. 

 The only way in which these beautiful markings can be 

 preserved is, by raising the carapace, taking out the soft 

 parts, and drying the specimens in a shady place in a brisk 

 current of air." At Sandgate, in May 1844, Mr. Bell pro- 

 cured nearly four hundred specimens of this species at two 

 casts of the dredge ; and he remarks that " it is very curious 

 to observe how local these cleansers are. In the former 

 year, at Bognor, I found multitudes of Portunus Rundelefii, 

 which absolutely swarmed in the Prawn and Lobster-pots ; 

 but not a specimen of any other species was obtained there. 

 The place of these is supplied at Sandgate by the present 

 species, whilst farther to the west P. puber and P. depurator 

 appear to occupy the ground, and perform the same im- 

 portant office of scavengers of the sea/''* 



Portunus pusillus, Leach. Dwarf Fin Oral. — Cara- 

 pace very convex and bossed, without hairs ; front project- 

 ing much, divided into three lobes, central one projecting 

 beyond the side one ; hind legs with the tarsus lanceolate. 



Hab. British coast, from Shetland to Cornwall. In the 



* British Crustacea, p. 106. 



