44 CAPRELLID^. 



AMPHIPODA . CAPRELLID&. 



ABERRANTIA. 



Genus PROTELLA. 



Protella. DANA, U. S. Explor. Exped. p. 812. SPENCE BATE, Cat. Amph. 

 Brit. Mus. p. 351. 



Generic character. Cephalon confluent with the first seg- 

 ment of the pereion. Pereion having the last two segments 

 shorter than the preceding. Pleon rudimentary. Appendages 

 to the cephalon well developed. Gnathopoda subchelate ; first 

 two pairs of pereiopoda rudimentary, but having branchiae 

 attached ; last three pair subequally long and robust. Anterior 

 pair of pleopoda rudimentary, the rest obsolete. 



THIS genus differs from Proto in several important 

 points : among the most conspicuous is the very rudi- 

 mentary character of the third and fourth pairs of legs, 

 which are represented by two small, uni-articulate, leaf- 

 like plates. The penultimate segment of the body is as 

 short as the last ; consequently, the last three pairs of 

 legs are situated closely together at the posterior ex- 

 tremity of the animal. Branchiae are attached to the 

 third and fourth segments of the body, which, in the 

 female, have also attached the plates belonging to the 

 incubatory pouch. 



This genus was established by Dana, as possessing a 

 character intermediate between that of Proto and Ca- 

 prella, from which last it is distinguished by the character 

 of the appendages of the intermediate segments of the 

 body. 



Our knowledge of this genus is, as yet, confined to 

 two species, one belonging to Britain, the other to South 

 America ; therefore its geographical range cannot pro* 

 perly be estimated. 



