BRACHIELLA INSIDIOSA. 207 



Bubcylindrical, flattened, about two and a half times 

 longer than broad ; the width increasing slightly 

 towards the posterior end, which is truncated and 

 provided with two pairs of appendages. The two 

 lateral appendages moderately elongated and slender, 

 but the intermediate pair short, and springing from 

 each side of the very small abdomen. 



Antennules short and stout, and each composed of 

 about three joints; antenna robust, and somewhat 

 similar to those of Lern&opoda galei. Mandibles 

 narrow at the base but wider towards the posterior 

 end, and armed with irregular coarse teeth on the 

 obliquely-truncated distal extremity. Maxillae small, 

 simple, and provided with a few apical spines. First 

 maxillipeds robust, and strongly uncinate ; second 

 maxillipeds short, and having the appearance of being 

 a prolongation of the cephalothorax. Length from 

 the extremity of the cephalothorax to the end of the 

 longer posterior appendages about 14 mm. Egg- 

 strings long and slender. 



Male. Very small, stout, about twice longer than 

 broad and similar in structure to the male of Brachiella 

 rostrata ; the antennae and both pairs of maxillipeds 

 strongly uncinate. 



Habitat. Parasitic on the gill-rays of the hake 

 (Merluccius vulgaris), moderately common. Plymouth 

 (Bassett-Smith'). Firths of Forth and Clyde, and at 

 Aberdeen Fish-Market (T. Scott). Irish Sea (A. Scott). 



4. Brachiella merluccii Bassett-Smith. 

 (Plate LXII, figs. 4, 5; Plate LXIII, figs. 17-20.) 



1896. Brachiella merluccii Bassett-Smith. (7) vol. iv, p. 163. 

 1896. Brachiella merluccii idem. (6) (6) vol. xviii, p. 14, pi. vi, fig. 1. 

 1900. Brachiella merluccii T. Scott. (112) p. 175, pi. viii, fig. 42. 

 1906. Brachiella merlucii Brian. (21) p. 107, pi. viii, fig. 3. 



Female. This species of Brachiella differs from 

 most of the others by its bizarre appearance. Cephalo- 

 thorax not very clearly defined from the genital 

 portion of the body ; bending round and forward at 



