

CKU8TACEA. 289 



b. Alpheus comatularum, Iluswell. 



Since Mr. Haswell's description of this species is brief, it may be 

 of service to subjoin the following, which was drawn up before his 

 Catalogue came to hand : — 



The body is smooth ; carapace with the sides nearly straight and 

 the antero-lateral angles appearing right angles in a dorsal view. 

 The rostrum is very long, reaching nearly to the end of the peduncles 

 of the antennules, vertically compressed and acute ; it has a dorsal 

 keel, which is prolonged backward to the gastric region of tbo 

 carapace, which is rather convex ; the supraocular spines are long and 

 acute, but not half as long as the rostrum. The lateral margins of 

 the second to sixth segments of the postabdomen terminate in small 

 spines in the males ; in the females the third to sixth segments are 

 laterally acute; in the males the first, and in the females the first 

 and second segments have their lateral margins broadly rounded. 

 The terminal segment is about twice as long as broad, with four 

 spines on its upper surface (two on either side of the middle line) 

 and four at its distal end (two on cither side of a slightly prominent 

 median lobe). The eyes are completely concealed beneath the cara- 

 pace ; the penultimate and antepenultimate joints of the antcnnulary 

 peduncles are of about equal length, the last joint a little shorter ; 

 the longer of t he two flagella is about as long as the carapace, with 

 ciliated joints ; outside of the peduncles is a flattened spine, which 

 reaches to the middle of the penultimate peduncular joint. The 

 terminal joint of the peduncle of the antennas is much elongated, 

 the preceding joint very short; the flagella robust and hardly as 

 long as the body ; the basal scale is shorter than the peduncle, bi- 

 partite at its distal end, the outer lobe spiniform and acute ; there 

 is a small external basal spine, below which is another larger spine. 

 The larger chelepide (either the right or left) has a slender merus- 

 joint, which is armed with a small spinule at the distal end of its 

 upper margin : the carpus (in both) is extremely short, armed above 

 and below with a strong spine ; palm subcylindrical, elongated, 

 smooth, without notches, rounded above and below, with a small 

 spinule at the distal end of its upper margin ; fingers each with a 

 blunt rounded tooth on its inner margin, the upper dilated laterally, 

 compressed and carinated above. In the smaller chelipede the palm 

 is slender, the fingers incurved at the tips, the dactyl much longer 

 than the lower finger and strongly arcuated. In the second legs 

 the last joint of the carpus is slightly longer than the three prece- 

 ding joints (which are very short) ; the following legs are mode- 

 rately robust, and terminate in small curved claws. The rami of 

 the uropoda are rounded, ciliated, and very minutely granulated at 

 the distal ends, the outer somewhat the larger ; their basal portions 

 ire armed with a spine above. Colour (in spirit) yellowish or 

 ;>inkish ; an adult female with ova is a deep brown-pink. Length 

 )f an adult female nearly 1 inch 2 lines (30 millim.), of its large 

 helipede about 9| lines (20 millim.) ; the males are somewhat 

 mailer. 





