PHRYXUS ABDOMINALIS. 235 



The mouth in the full-grown male, in which probably 

 but little food is taken, is reduced to a small conical fleshy 

 lobe on the underside of the head. 



The seven segments of the body are quite distinct, and 

 the seven pairs of legs are affixed near the sides of the 

 body beneath, and may be extended considerably beyond 

 the sides, although generally hidden by being folded 

 inwards close to the sides when at rest. 



The tail forms a subconical piece, having all its seg- 

 ments closely soldered together with very slight indica- 

 tions of the articulations. 



The female, when full-grown and distended with eggs 

 (of which the number is immense), forms a large, nearly 

 globular, mass, with one side of the body swollen to such 

 a degree that it extends far beyond the limits of the 

 head, absorbing the legs on this side, with the exception of 

 the most anterior. This is exhibited in the lower figure on 

 the left-hand side of our woodcut, where the mouth is in- 

 dicated by the small dark-shaded portion resting on a 

 somewhat heart-shaped base, having a leg with a dilated 

 basal joint on either side, that of the right side succeeded 

 by a series of folds, within which are attached the bases 

 of the succeeding legs, whereas those of the left side are 

 obsolete. These legs, are slender, and terminated by an 

 oval hand with a weak and curved finger, obtuse at 

 its tip. 



The sides of the body of the female are provided with 

 very large scales, not arranged in pairs, and which fall 

 backwards so as to cover the body. 



The tail consists of five segments, of which the four 

 basal ones are short and narrow, having on either side a 

 large and a small fleshy lobe of an oval shape, but varying 

 in size according to the side of the body to which they 

 are attached ; being the largest on the dilated side. The 



