STEBBING— ISOPODA 103 



quite untrustworthy. The specimen roughly figured by Brunnich, fig. 5 on the plate 

 illustrating his " Entomologia," 1764, as a typical Oniscus, is probably intended for the 

 present species. It attains a large size, sometimes making a near approach to two inches, 

 with great breadth. The head is very deeply sunk within the verrucose first segment 

 of the perseon. 



The specimens were obtained by Mr Crossland at Zanzibar in 1901. 



Gen. MEINERTIA, Stebbing. 



1893. Meinertia, Stebbing, History of Crustacea, p. 354. 



18. Meinertia carinata (Bianconi). 



1869. Cymothce carinata, Bianconi, Memorie della Accademia delle Scienze dell' 

 Istituto di Bologna, fasciculus xvii., p. 210, pi. 2, figs. 2 a, b. 



1869. Cymothoa (Ceratothoa) carinata, Hilgendorf, Von der Decken's Reisen in 

 Ost-Afrika, vol. hi., p. 846. 



1883. Ceratothoa carinata, Schiodte and Meinert, Naturh. Tidsskr., ser. 3, vol. xiii., 

 p. 327, pi. 13, figs. 1, 2. 



In cataloguing this species Hilgendorf mentions that Bianconi's memoir appeared in 

 two forms with different pagination. Thus Hilgendorf's reference to p. 344 answers to 

 p. 210 in the "Memorie" above cited. Bianconi's Cymothce may be intended for a 

 correction of Cymothoa Fabricius, or it may be an error caused by Milne-Edward's use 

 of the French form along with the Latin. As I have elsewhere explained, Schiodte 

 and Meinert in instituting the genus Glossobius allotted to it precisely the two species 

 for which Dana had established Ceratothoa, of which Glossobius consequently became 

 a synonym, the name Meinertia being then substituted as generic name for the species 

 which the two authors had assigned to Ceratothoa. Between the latter in the true sense 

 and Meinertia the distinction drawn is that Ceratothoa has the fingers unequal, those 

 of the third pair largest of all, while in Meinertia the fingers are all equal or subequal. 



As Bianconi's Latin description of this rare species is excellent and not easily 

 accessible, it may be convenient here to translate it. 



" A Cymothce with the peraon anteriorly and the pleon carinate. Telsonic segment 

 very broad, with curved sides, distal margin deeply excavate. Head of moderate size, 

 subtriangular, obtuse in front, on either side very sloping. First antennae bent back, 

 their second joint large. Margin of seventh perreon segment without any tubercle. 

 Head broad at the base, but narrowed towards the obtuse apex ; at the sides it is so 

 much depressed that the head also itself appears carinate in the middle. The first 

 antennas, short and thick, strongly flattened, are bent back laterally, at their third joint, 

 over the head. First segment of the peraaon of moderate size, strongly carinate in the 

 middle, narrowing anteriorly, and there extending forward on each side, to reach the 

 insertion of the second antenna} ; these processes end in a fairly sharp point directed 

 forward, from a swollen base. The second and third segments are in like manner carinate. 

 Hind margin of fifth pleon segment sinuate; it shows two shallow concavities, which divide 

 the margin itself into three sections. Sixth segment large, very broad ; its marginal lines 



