566 



GALATEAD.E GALEOLARIA. 



GALATEAD^E (Leach ; or more properly 

 GALATHEID.E). A family of macrourous ten-footed 

 Crustacea, nearly allied to the lobster family, distin- 

 guished by a broader and flattened form, by the 

 lateral portions of the tail being formed into plates 

 capable of opening and shutting like a fan, and by the 

 spurious condition of the fifth pair of legs ; the two 

 anterior legs are large, and often very much flattened ; 

 the terminal segment of the tail is bilobed. The 

 species are all marine, and some of them, although 

 belonging to the section Macroura, have all the 

 appearance of the crabs or Brachyura. 



In the typical genus (Galathea, Fabricius) the tail 

 is extended, the carapace or shell oval or oblong, 

 rugose, or transversely striated and ciliated ; the 

 middle antennae extended, and the claws are elonga- 

 ted. These crabs, or nocturnal animals, some species 

 residing in rocky situations at a considerable depth, 

 whilst others prefer a flat bottom at an equal depth, 

 where they are found amongst Algae, Fucus, &c. 

 M. Risso has published the description of a fossil 

 species found in the excavations near Nice, which he 

 names Gal. antiqua. According to M. Bosc, the 

 mode in which the renewing of the shell is effected is 

 very different from that which ordinarily occurs, this 

 author asserting that it is by means of a general dis- 

 location of all the articulations or scales of the body, 

 together with the rapid production of intermediate 

 plates, which become soldered to the old covering, 

 that this is effected. We need only to refer to our 

 article on the Crustacea in general for an account of 

 the ordinary mode in which the moulting of these 

 animals takes place, and which we should conceive, 

 from analogy, must also occur in the genus under 

 consideration. 



There are two British species belonging to this 

 genus, the names of which have been much confused 

 by Dr. Leach. The typical species is the Galathea 

 strigosa (Fabricius ; Spinigera, Leach). It is of a red 

 colour, variegated with blue ; the rostrum acute, 

 seven-spined ; the claws short, spinose, and com- 

 pressed. 



A third British species, Galathea rugosa ( Fab.), forms 

 the type of Leach's genus Mitneda, The other genera 

 are Grimotca, JKglea, Calypso, Pisidla, and Porcaellana, 

 the last of which is at once distinguished by the tail, 

 which is folded under the body as in the Brachyura ; 

 the shell, moreover, is flat and orbicular, or sub- 

 quadrate, and the claws triangular and nearly flat. 

 The type is the Cancer platychelcs of Pennant. It is 

 found upon our rocky coasts. 



GALATHEA (Lamarck; VENUS, Linnaeus). 

 This very elegant mollusc inhabits fresh water rivers. 

 Its general character is as follows : The shell is 

 equivalve, subtriangular, the primary teeth furrowed, 

 two on the right valve, joined at the base, three on 

 the other valve, placed triangularly, the intermediate 

 one being advanced, separate, thick, and callous ; the 

 muscular impressions are lateral, and appear double 

 on either side. In its native state this shell is covered 

 with a greenish epidermis, beneath which the surface 

 is of an ivory white, highly polished, and from two to 

 four delicately coloured violet rays, diverging from 

 the apex to the margin, which is also slightly tinged 

 with violet, particularly at those points of continuation 

 of the rays which indicate the local position of the 

 animal's excretory ducts of colouring pigment. In 

 the arrangement of recent malacologists this shell is 

 described as a species of Cyclas, to which it certainly 



bears a close affinity. It may also claim an union 

 with the genus Cyrena, which is now also united to 

 the genus Cyclas, the distinctive characters being too 

 finely developed to warrant a separation of the genera. 

 Sowerby has very properly changed the name of this 

 genus to that of Potamopliila, Galathea being the name 

 given by Fabricius (and likewise adopted by Lamarck) 

 to a genus of Crustacea. All the species of these 

 molluscs inhabit fresh water, being located in the mud, 

 and consequently but rarely met with in the ordinary 

 course of seeking shells. The greater number are 

 from India. Several fossil species have been de- 

 scribed by Defrance and Brocchi ; and Mr. Gumming, 

 by whom malacology is so highly enriched, has dis- 

 covered several species, hitherto unknown, of this 

 genus and its congeners. In the general system we 

 have adopted as our guide, in order to assume a given 

 arrangement, this genws is classed in the third class 

 Acephalophora, third order Lamellibranchiata, eighth 

 family Conchacea. 



GALAXIA (Linnaeus). A genus of Cape bulbs, 

 bearing beautiful flowers. They belong to the order 

 Iridece, and are grown in sandy loam and leaf mould, 

 kept dry when torpid, and watered only when they 

 are growing. They are usually kept in a frame, or 

 in the greenhouse. 



GALBANUM is the Bubon galbanum of Willde- 

 now, a Cape of Good Hope shrub, which yields a 

 gum much used in medicine. 



GALE, or SWEET GALE, is the Myrica gale of 

 Linnaeus, a plant common in the northern bogs of 

 Britain and Ireland, valued for its fine scout. 



GALEOBDOLON (Smith), G. luteiim, is the 

 yellow dead nettle of English botany, a weed common 

 in moist shady places. It belongs to Labiate. 



GALEODES (Olivier SOLPUGA, Liechtenstein), 

 a remarkable genus of arachnidous animals, forming 

 the type of a distinct family Galeodidee or Sofyugidee, 

 in the order Adelarthrosomata, having somewhat the 

 appearance of large spiders, but possessing a pair of 

 large compressed claws attached in front of the mouth 

 having the finger moveable. The palpi are large, and 

 resemble antennas or legs, the eyes are attached in 

 front of the thorax, and the abdomen, which is fleshy 

 and very hairy, is composed of nine joints. The palpi 

 are furnished with a small organ of a whitish colour, 

 which is only exerted when the animal is irritated. They 

 run with great rapidity, throwing up the head in an 

 attitude of defence when attacked, and are reputed 

 venomous, whence the name of the typical species, 

 fatalis (Fabricius). With the exception of a spe- 

 cies found near Havanah by M. Poey, the species of 

 this genus inhabit the hot sandy countries of the old 

 world. Figures of some of the Egyptian species with 

 anatomical details, are represented with the highest 

 degree of accuracy in the great work upon Egypt, 

 undertaken by order of Bonaparte. 



GALEOLARIA (Lamarck). This genus of mol- 

 luscs nearly approximate to the Vcrnrilia, but the size 

 of the shell, the peculiar structure of the aperture, 

 and, more especially, the extraordinary operculum 

 have induced Lamarck to constitute the present 

 genus. Their tubes are found adhering together at 

 the base in crowded groups or tufts, open at the sum- 

 mits ; the aperture is orbicular, terminating on one 

 side in a spatulous tongue (lingulmn spalulatuni) ; the 

 operculum is squamose, furnished on the upper side 

 with small testaceous pieces or valves, from five to 

 nine in number, the middle one dentated at the 



