150 BY THE DEEP SEA. 



keeled and grooved. The antennae are very long, a circum- 

 stance to which the creature owes its second name. There is 

 very little hair about this species, and consequently he is able 

 to keep himself clean and neat. 



In close alliance with the Porcelain-crabs is a group popu- 

 larly known (as far as they are known at all, which is but 

 slightly) as Squat Lobsters. They are not lobsters however, 

 though the long slender pincers, the elongated carapace, and 

 the lobster-like tail all contribute to the likeness. The most 

 plentiful species is that figured on page 148, with Broad-claw, 

 viz. : 



The Scaly Squat -lobster (Galatliea squamiferd], which we 

 shall find freely under the stones at very low-water in our 

 drang. He is a very lively fellow, who objects to too much 

 publicity, and is very anxious to get into a hole or under 

 another stone the moment you lift the roof off his former 

 retreat. He shoots backwards in true lobster fashion, his 

 pincers held straight out in front. If, however, you interfere 

 with his retrograde movement, the nippers will not be trailed 

 uselessly, but raised and brought into action. Like Broad- 

 claw, he does not set great store by a limb or two, and will 

 willingly part with several as the price of liberty. In colour, 

 squamifera is very dark olive, the carapace covered with 

 waved lines across it, said lines being evenly fringed with 

 short hairs. Similarly fringed scales occur plentifully over all 

 the legs. The carapace begins in front, with a distinct beak, 

 and an awful array of fixed bayonets. The first of these is a 

 stout sharp spine in the very front, and behind it on either 

 side just above the eyes is a series of four similar spines slightly 

 curved, of which the first is the largest, and the fourth very 

 short. Along each side of the carapace is a closely-set row of 

 spines, and the outer edge of the " hand " is protected in a like 

 manner. The next three limbs have smaller spines upon their 

 upper margin, and of larger size, on what might, from its 

 apparent position, be popularly regarded as the knee. All 



