58 



CANCERID^E. 



but one species of this genus, as now restricted, native of 

 the shores of this country, or indeed of Europe, all the 

 others being South American. 



The generic name Cancer was applied by Dr. Leach to 

 this, the present genus, as restricted by him ; and I have 

 elsewhere* stated my reasons for restoring it, after La- 

 treille had, in the French Museum, assigned to it the name 

 of Platycarcinus, in which he had been followed by Dr. 

 Milne Edwards. When the characters of the present 

 genus were first defined, the only known species was the 

 common large eatable crab of our coasts, the Cancer Pa- 

 gurus of Linnaeus. Subsequently another species was added 

 by Say, and since that three others by myself, from the 

 South American collection of Mr. Cuming. The whole 

 of these are described in a monograph of the genus just 

 referred to. 



* " Transactions of the Zoological Society," 70! . i. p. 335. 



