488 CRABS OF THE FAMILY LITHOBIDJE— BENEDICT. vol.xvii. 



large; third, fourtli, and fifth segments represented on the left margin 

 by large plates; sixth and seventh segments very small. In the male, 

 the third, fourth, and fifth segments are soft, without plates; the sixth 

 segment is central, and the seventh difficult to distinguish. The cheli- 

 peds are subequal, the fingers long and spoon-shaped. The dactyli of 

 the three pairs of ambulatory feet shut against two spines situated on 

 the distal under surface of the propodus, giving the feet a prehensile 

 character. 



LEPEOPUS FORCIPATITS, new species. 



The carapace is flattened, broader than long; the areolations are but 

 slightly marked. The anterior angles of the carapace are produced to 

 a i)oint reaching much beyond the line of the points of the prominent 

 orbital s^nnes or i)oints. The rostrum is triangular, i^roduced and bent 

 downward. The antenna! scale is short, flattened, and squamose. The 

 carapace and abdopien are thickly set with rows of short bristles situ- 

 ated in transverse, straight depressions. The ambulatory legs are also 

 set with rows of short bristles, but the depressions are semicircular 

 and imbricated. These, with the markings of the carapace, give the 

 crab a very squamose appearance. The squama? of the chelipeds are 

 much smaller and less conspicuous. The chelipeds are not so long as 

 the ambulatory feet, reaching to about the middle of the propodal joints. 

 There are four or five spines on the inner and upper margins of the 

 merus, and one on the inner margin of the carpus. The fingers are 

 long and weak, broadening out- into spoon-shaped tips. The outer 

 or contact edges are armed with very small tubercles and bunches of 

 bristles, while the inner edges are armed only with the bristles. The 

 merus of the ambulatory legs is armed on the anterior margin with five 

 or six short conical spines; it is broad and much flattened ; its anterior 

 margin is semicircular and its xDosterior margin straight. The carpus 

 is much narrower than the middle of the merus and is about the same 

 width as the propodus. The propodus has straight margins and is 

 much flattened; on its distal under surface are two spines which receive 

 thedactylus; right behind on the central line is a third sharp spine. 

 The dactyli are short and flattened, terminating in a sharp, spine-like 

 tip; the inner margin is thin and armed with spinules. 



I know nothing of the habits of this crab, but from its lightness and 

 soft texture, the shell being calcified merely enough to keej) its form, I 

 believe it may be found among seaweed, when its subprehensile ambu- 

 latory legs may assist it to hokl its position. 



Types. — No. GCO<S, U.S.X.M. ; I'arry Passage, Graham Island, British 

 Columbia, J. G. Swan; 2 <? , 1 2 . 



