LEPTASPIDIA. 331 



ISOPODA. ASELLIDJE. 



NOEMALIA. 



Genus LEPTASPIDIA. 



Generic character. Animal pear-shaped, flattened, ciliated 

 along the margins ; inner pair of antennae nearly one-third of 

 the length of the outer pair ; legs terminated by single acute 

 dactylos ; pleon ovate, extremity entire ; uropoda lateral ; eyes 

 obsolete. 



WE have established this genus for the reception 

 of a minute animal, which differs in several of its 

 characters from the rest of the family, but agrees 

 with them in the dilated form of the body, with 

 the margins of the segments ciliated, and the semi- 

 circular form of the head, with the lateral posterior 

 angles rounded. We have not observed the eyes in our 

 unique specimen. The upper or inner antennae, which 

 are most probably represented in our cut too wide apart, 

 are nearly one-third of the length of the outer pair, 

 which latter are about half the length of the animal, 

 and appear to consist of three nearly equal-sized basal 

 joints, and an articulated flagellum. The segments of 

 the body are rounded and ciliated, gradually decreasing 

 in width and length from the second joint. The legs 

 are extremely short and slender, the anterior having the 

 wrist and hand somewhat thickened, all terminating in a 

 single slender and acute finger. The tail resembles that 

 of the genus Munna, and is oval in shape, flattened and 

 ciliated with a slight notch on each side beyond the 

 middle, each impression bearing a small conical appen- 

 dage (uropoda), the extremity being produced back- 



