Nakrativh of Bahama Expedition. 51 



The grotesque formt; which these animals assume can only be 

 appreciated when seen. Here is Nature's art of protective 

 form and coloration carried to perfection. Scuttling among 

 the "-grass" might be seen a very strikingly marked species 

 of ^Xcptiiiuis. which was conspicuous only after being brought 

 on board, its alternate olivaceous and light markings assimi- 

 lating perfectly with the grass and sand over which it crawls. 

 x\ very peculiarly ornamented species of Artira (A. palmer/' 

 Rathbun ) was secured, with the carapace and upper surface 

 of chela? ornamented with regularl}- disposed round groups of 

 nodules, looking like sparsely distributed cobble-stones, be- 

 tween w hich a dense furry hair appears. The legs are greatlv 

 flattened, the chela? sharp and dentated. while each ambula- 

 tory leg is provided with a horny claw at its distal extremitv. 



The genus PihiuDins was represented by an extremelv 

 hairy species, P. carihicns Desbonne and Schramm, with jet 

 black fingers to the chela?, which w^ere coarsely granulated. 

 x\mong the spider-like crabs, two species of Macrocoelonia 

 came up on the tangles, one of them being very closely allied 

 to C. caiuptocenu wuth a triangular body, parallel rostral spines. 

 tubular eye sockets, and prominent spines on dorsal surface of 

 the carapace. 



Massive sponges came aboard, fairly alive with Crustacea of 

 various species. As might have been expected, specimens of 

 Droniidia autilloisis Stimpson,were included, each covered with 

 its mass of sponge, and further protected by a coloration 

 exactl}' matching that of the sponge under which it lived. The 

 carapace, moreover, is covered with short, dense hair, giving a 

 splendid means of attachment to the sponge, which is still 

 further prevented from being lost by the pseudo-cheLx with 

 which the fourth and fifth pairs of legs are provided, these 

 latter being habitually carried over the back of the animal so 

 as to be available in holding on to the sponge. 



But the strangest of all the strange crabs collected here was 

 a little fellow made to resemble a bit of shell so perfectly 

 that any one but the sharp-eyed young man who attended to 

 the Crustacea would have been likely to overlook it altoo'ether. 



