240 COLLECTIONS FROM MELANESIA. 



small pits ; this coating, which is apparently the natural covering 

 of the species, is entirely absent from the transverse depressions, 

 but covers in great part the ventral surface of the body and the legs. 

 The front is rather less than one third the greatest width of the 

 carapace and is notched in the middle ; the very short antero-lateral 

 margins are armed with three rather obscure teeth, whereof the 

 first is situated at some distance from the orbit and the last at the 

 angle formed by the junction of the antero-lateral with the postero- 

 lateral margins, which is also the point at which the carapace 

 is deflexed. The male postabdomen is as broad at base as the 

 sternum and is 7-jointed ; the first two joints shorter than the rest, 

 the last subtriangulate with a rounded apex. The antennules are 

 nearly transversely plicated ; the basal antennal joint reaches- nearly 

 to the subfrontal process ; the following joints are slender, the 

 flagellum somewhat elongated. The maxillipedes (whose form is 

 described above) have the fifth joints articulated with the merus at 

 its antero-internal angle. The chelipedes, for so small a species, are 

 rather robust ; merus trigonous and more or less granulated ; carpus 

 (or wrist) and palm granulated on their upper and outer surfaces, the 

 granulations disposed in reticulating lines, the intervening spaces or 

 pits between which are smooth ; the fingers are shorter than the 

 palm, acute at the apices, and dentated and meeting along their inner 

 margins. The ambulatory legs are of moderate length ; the merus- 

 joints are rather slender, trigonous, with the margins thin-edged or 

 carinated, as are also the upper margins of the two following 

 joints ; the dactyli are slender and stylit'orm. The male verges 

 arise directly from the bases of the fifth ambulatory legs, and are 

 not contained in sternal channels ; they are rather broad at base 

 and strongly recurved at the distal extremities. Colour (in spirit) 

 whitish. The length of the largest example I have seen is barely 

 2jj lines (5 millim.), and width less than 3 lines (6 millim.). 



Two male specimens were collected in Prince of Wales Channel, 

 at 7-9 fms. (Xo. 169). 



85. Psendorhombila vestita {Be Haan), var. sexdentata, Haswell. 



(Plate XXIY. fig. B.) 



P? Eucrate sexdentatus, Haswell, Cat. Austr. Crust, p. 86 (1882). 



The carapace and legs are scantily pubescent ; the carapace is 

 little broader than long and is anteriorly deflexed ; the front is 

 about one third the greatest width of the carapace, with its anterior 

 margin straight and entire, the antero-lateral margins shorter than 

 the postero-lateral and armed with three teeth (including the tooth 

 or lobe at the outer orbital angle) ; the posterior tooth is longest, 

 spiniform. and projects laterally ; the upper margins of the orbits are 

 sinuated, the lower obscurely granulated, and there is a very wide 

 hiatus on the inner side of the orbit. All of the postabdominal 

 segments are distinct ; the second and third segments, although 

 laterally produced, do not reach quite to the bases of the fifth 



