78 GENUS LIBINIA. 



often obsolete ones before it; several other spines more 

 or less con opicuous, but of which about four are always 

 more prominent, are placed on the buck between the dor- 

 sal and lateral rows. Feet long, covered with short dense 

 hair, second and third pairs rather longest; tarsi long, co- 

 nic, incurved, without stri^, furnished at tip wiih a yel-, 

 lowish glabrous nail, which is perceptibly a little eleva- 

 ted at its origin above the common surface of the tarsus 

 of which it is a little more than one fourth of the length, 

 grooved with a line each side and one beneath to a 

 level with the general surface of the tarsus; anterior 

 feet granuhited, wrists unarmed, or with an obsolete 

 tubercle on the inner angle, hands subcylindrical, a lit- 

 tle compressed, linear, hardly smaller near the base, con- 

 dyles of the base prominent; fingers about half as long 

 as the palm, with regular obtuse teeth, and an impressed 

 lateral line on each. 



Length about two inches and a half, breadth more 

 than two inches. 



Known on many parts of the coast of the United 

 States by the name of Spider Crab^ Sea Spider, &c. is 

 very commonly brought ashore by the nets of the fibher- 

 men, but is not used as food. Walks with a wary, mea- 

 sured step, as if fearful of making a noise. Comes near 

 to the description of M, hircus^ GmeL but differs m not 

 havmg the ** arms muricated;" to L» emarginata o^ x\\^ 

 Zool. Miscel. vol. 2. tab. 108, it is closely related, but 

 the arm^ are much longer. 



