'Carcinological Fauna of India. 199 



but with the anterior margin — between the outer angles of the afferent 

 branchial channels — perfectly straight. 



The antero-lateral margin is broadly indented at the junction of 

 the hepatic and branchial regions, and bears four denticles ; and there 

 are three denticles on the posterior margin, the middle one of which is 

 the smallest: just above the posterior margin is another transverse row 

 of three denticles, — one in the middle of the intestinal region and one on 

 the posterior wall of the branchial region on either side. 



The carapace is strongly convex, the convexity gradually increasing 

 from before backwards and then suddenly dropping, like a simian cra- 

 nium, -which in profile it much resembles : the surface is everywhere 

 finely granular. 



The regions of the carapace are ■well delimited by broad shallow 

 grooves and lines of dimples, the branchial regions each forming an 

 enormous tumid expanse. A slightly ra.ised ridge traverses the cara- 

 pace, in the middle line, from the base of the front to the intestinal 

 denticle. 



The front is broadly bilobed, each lobe being convex dorsally and 

 acuminate : beyond it in a dorsal view is seeu the epistome and the 

 •whole length of the edge of the buccal cavern. 



The surface of the external maxillipeds and the ventral surface of 

 the carapace are finely granular, but the sternum and the greater part 

 of the abdomen are smooth. In the middle of the sternum of the female, 

 between the genital openings, is an erect spine. 



The external maxillipeds have a narrow triangular endopodite, the 

 merus of which is strongly curved upwards towards the front ; and a 

 foliaceous exopodite, which is much shorter than the endopodite, and 

 ■which is semicircular in shape and two-thirds as broad as long — 

 broader even than in Philyra globosa, Fabr. 



The chelipeds as in Myra fngax, vary according to age and sex : in 

 the adult male they are 4| times, in the female and young male 2\ times, 

 the length of the cai*apace, and are only about twice as massive as the 

 legs : their surface up to nearly the end of the hand is finely scabrous. 

 The arm is cylindrical : the hand in the female is cylindrical, but in the 

 male somewhat clavate. The hand in the male is more than 3 times, in 

 the female only twice the length of the fingers : the fingers arc stout, 

 gently curved in the female, somewhat sinuous in the adult male, and 

 their opposed edges are almost edentulous. 



The legs in the male are shorter than the arnn ; in the female they 

 are a little longer than the arm : they are cylindrical, and finely scab- 

 rous on the dorsal surface : the dactyli are obtusely pointed, and have- 

 both their edges closely fringed with longish stiff hairs. 



204 



