MAIIDA 



MAIin.E. 



601 



l.ihinia iplnota. 

 a, under ilr of brail in detail ; *, abdomen of female. 



with a tliiu and fine down, ia about two inches in length, and of a 

 reddinh colour. 

 It inbabita the Mediterranean. 



Ilribtlia nndyliata. 



Pita (Leach). The carapace in gradually narrowed anteriorly for 

 about three-fourth*, and its latero-auterior borders prolonged obliquely 

 hi a nearly straight line up to a small distance from its posterior 

 border ; the surfuce very convex ; the regions in general sufficiently 

 distinct, and the stomachal region in particular very much developed ; 

 the front wider than the buccal frame, and armed with four horns 

 directed forwards, the two external of which occupy the anterior 

 extremity of the superior orbital border, and the two middle of which 

 form the rostrum, which is always at leant once and a half as long as 

 H is wide ; eyes carried on very short peduncles, and bent backward* 

 in the orbits, which are of an oval shape, and directed outwards and 

 downwards ; the upper border of these cavities with two slits, 

 separated from each other by a triangular tooth, and their external 

 angle situated rather below than above the lateral border of the cara- 

 pace, which is there terminated ; the orbital border interrupted below 

 by a Urge notch ; the internal antenna! without any peculiarity ; the 

 basilary joint of the external antennn much longer than it is wide, 

 only slightly narrowed forwards, and exceeding the level of the internal 

 canthua of the eya*, but completely hidden above by the spiniform 

 prolongation of the superior orbital border ; the second joint of the 

 antennas slender and cylindrical, and inserted at a distance nearly 

 equal from the antennary fosset and the orbit, a little without the 

 level of the external border of the rostrum, so as to show itself 

 between this prolongation and the lateral horns of the front ; the 

 third joint small and cylindrical, and the fourth rather long; anten- 

 nary "sgiao Dearly of the sin of the buccal frame, and the epistome 

 Urn and Dearly square ; the second joint of the external Jaw-feet 

 prolonged from the internal side much beyond the level of its external 

 angle; and the third joint much longer than it is wide, strongly 

 dilated outward*, and deeply notched at its anterior and internal 

 angle ; sternal plastron longer than it is wide. In the female the 



anterior feet are in general nearly of the same length as those of the 

 second pair ; but in the male they are remarkably longer and stouter ; 

 the hand is convex, and the fingers trenchant, and finely dentilated on 

 their terminal moiety; the remaining feet are cylindrical, and of 

 moderate length ; those of the second pair are not much longer than 

 the post-frontal portion of the carapace ; the length of the other feet 

 diminish successively, and, in nearly all the species, their last joint is 

 furnished below with small horny points, which are placed very 

 regularly on one or two longitudinal lines, like the teeth of a comb ; 

 abdomen composed of seven distinct joints. 



The whole of the body of the Pu<e is ordinarily covered with hairs, 

 which are recurved at the end, and catch up foreign bodies which they 

 touch ; it is not rare therefore to see these crustaceans covered with 

 sea-weeds and sponges. This disguise most probably answers the 

 double purpose of enabling them to surprise their prey and of protecting 

 them from their enemies. 



Nearly all the species live in the European Seas at considerable 

 depths, and ore often dredged up by the fishermen. After spring-tides 

 they are frequently found hidden under stones at low-water. They 

 are not used as food. 



The species are divided into two sections, depending on the absence 

 or presence of spiniform teeth on the upper border of the third or 

 third and fourth joints of the last four pairs of feet, to. The first 

 of these sections' is separated into two subdivisions, dependent prin- 

 cipally upon the rounded or triangular form of the posterior portion 

 of the carapace. 



P. Mraodon, the Four-Homed Spider Crab, is two or three inches 

 in length, and has the body entirely covered with a kind of down and 

 some crooked hairs ; it is of a brownish colour ; the lateral margin 

 with four spines, the posterior part of the carapace rounded without 

 spines; a small tubercle near the posterior margin. This species is 

 very common on the English and French coasts. They are found con- 

 cealed under the long hanging fuei which clothe the rocks at some 

 distance from the shore. Like all the slow-moving Crustacea they 

 ore frequently covered with Fuei. Their movements ore exceedingly 

 slow and measured, but they seize their prey easily and hold it firmly. 



Four. Honied Spider-Crab (Pita Mraodon). 



a, male j *, female ; c, abdomen of female ; d, abdomen of male ; e, antenna; 

 pcili|>alp. 



