Mr. E. J. Miera on the 



Micippa philyra. 



Cancer philyra, Ilerbst, Nat. Krabbe u. Krebse, iii. Heft 3, p. 51, pi. Iviii. 



fig. 4 (1803). \ 



Micippe piatipes, Riippell, Besehreib. 24 kiiTzschwauzigen Krabben 



des R. Meeres,p. 8, pi. i. fig. 4 $ (1830): Heller, Sitz. der Akad. 



AVian, xliii. (1), p. 299, pi. i. fig. 2 (1861). ' 

 Tar amicippa piatipes, M.-Edw. Hist. Nat. Crust, i. p. 333(1834). 

 Micippa biearinata, Adams and White, Zoology of H.M.S. ' Samarang/ 



Crust, p. 10 (1848). 

 Micippa hirtipes, Dana, Amer. Journ. of Sci. & Arts (ser. 2), xi. p. 268 



(1851) ; Crust, in U. S. Explor. Exped. xiii. (1) p. 90, pi. i. fig. 4 



(1852), var. 

 Micippa spatulifrons, A. M.-Edw. N. Arch. Mns. Hist. Nat. viii.p.240, 



pi. xi. fig. 3 (1872), var. 

 Micippa philyra, var. piatipes, Kossmann, Zool. Ergebn. einer Reise in 



die liiistengeb. des R. Meeres, p. 7, pi. iii. fig. 3 (1877). 

 Micippa philyra, var. latifrons, Riehters, Pecapoda in Mobius's Beitr. 



zur Meeresfauna der Insel Mauritius und der Sevcbellen, p. 142, 



pi. xv. figs. 1-5 (1880). 



This form in many of its characters bears a close resem- 

 blance to the following (Micippa mascarenica) • but adult males 

 may, I think, always be distinguished by the following 

 characters : — 



The carapace is broader in proportion to its length and 

 much more depressed ; the rostrum is less abruptly deflexed ; 

 the spines at the distal extremity of the basal antennal joint 

 are obsolete, and the following- (mobile) joint of the peduncle 

 is dilated and compressed. The chelipedes (in the adult males) 

 have the palm dilated and compressed, less than twice as long- 

 as broad ; the fingers with a wide interna arginal space when 

 closed and meeting only at the distal extremities. An adult 

 male has the following dimensions : — 



Length of carapace to base of rostrum nearly 12 lines (25 

 millim.) ; breadth 10^ lines (22*5 millim.) ; length of a cheli- 

 pede 144 lines (31 millim.) ; length of first ambulatory leg 

 14 lines (30 millim.). 



Ilab. Indo-Pacific or Oriental region. 



The series in the collection of the Museum is small, and 

 the adult and fully-grown examples are all from the Red Sea 

 and Gulf of Suez. The specimens from the Philippines, 

 designated Micippa biearinata by White, are not fully grown ; 

 a small male — length of carapace to base of rostrum nearly 

 4| lines (9 millim.) — has the palm of the chelipedes nearly as 

 in the adult specimens from the Red Sea, but the second 

 antennal joint is less dilated, although compressed. There 

 are also in the collection small specimens from the Fijis pre- 

 senting similar characters as regards the antennas. 



