136 



GRAPSIDJE. 



is lamellar, broad, projecting, slightly inclining, and entire. 

 The orbits open above, with a small tooth at the outer 

 angle, forming the anterior angle of the lateral margin : 

 immediately behind this tooth is a very slight depression. 

 The margins are very entire. The external antennae are ex- 

 tremely small. The antennary fossae are separated from the 

 orbits only by the basal joint of the external antennae, which 

 scarcely fills up the hiatus. The anterior legs are robust, 

 and, ordinarily, nearly equal ; the arm is distinctly denticu- 

 late on the anterior and slightly so on the inner margin ; 

 the wrist has a minute tooth on the anterior inner and 

 outer angles ; the hand is smooth, very slightly granulated 

 beneath, rounded and inflated ; the fingers somewhat in- 

 curved, furnished with small tubercular teeth. The re- 

 maining pair of legs are considerably compressed; the 

 upper edge of the last three joints fringed with stiff hairs ; 

 the inferior edge of the last joint, and the last but one, 

 furnished with sharp spines, of which there are often two 

 or three also on the upper edge of the last joint near the 

 point, which terminates in a sharp spine. The abdomen in 

 the male is triangular, formed of seven smooth joints, 

 the first of which is transversely carinated ; that of the 

 female is nearly orbicular and very slightly raised along the 

 centre. 



The colour is very various in different individuals. In 

 those which are marked in the British Museum as English, 

 it is of an uniform brownish buff; in others grey, mottled 

 with brown : but the most beautiful are those in which the 

 upper parts are mottled with various shades of reddish 

 brown and rich dark brown, with blotches of yellow or 

 buff; the legs being marked with obscure bands of similar 

 colours. These, however, doubtless belong to a distinct 

 species. 



