HV. 



V 



GALACANTIIA DIOMEDE^. 



79 



The "Albatross'' specimens differ constantly from the 



West 



Indian form in the following particulars : The spines at the antero-lateral 

 an^rles of the carapace are more divergent, the anterior spine being more 

 nearly parallel with the axis of the body ; the posterior spine is relatively 

 longer; the abdomen is smoother toward the central part of the segments; 

 the dorsal spine of the fourth abdominal segment is smaller. In other re- 

 gards there is considerable variation among different individuals. The color 

 in life is oran<>*e-redj fading into pale yellowish on the carapace and abdomen. 

 The characters pointed out by Henderson* to separate G. hcllis from 

 G. rodrata can hardly be deemed of specific valuCj nor does it seem" probable 

 that G. taliHinamA is anything more than individual; age, or perhaps local 

 variation of the same species. G. ialmnanii is a manuscript name of A. Milne 

 Edwards's; but this writer appears to have abandoned its claims to recogni- 

 tion as a valid species, since it is not included in his enumeration of the 

 known species of Galacantha given in the ^' Considerations Generales sur la 

 Faniille des Galatheides.'' :|: Finally, as far as can be determined by Wood- 

 Mason's short description, G, areoMa\ differs from G. rodrata chiefly in tlie 

 coarser granulation of the carapace, and may perhaps be viewed to more 

 advantage as an East Indian race of G, rodrata. If my suspicions concerning 

 the relationship of the above-named forms be well founded, we behold in 

 G. rodrata a somewhat variable abyssal species of world-wide distribution, 

 represented on both sides of the Atlantic, off the Pacific coast of America, 

 in the Banda Sea, and in the Bay of Bengal. 



West 



1591 fathoms. It has been figured by S. I. Suiith. 



Galacantha diomedese Fax. 



Plate XXV. 



Bull. Mus. Coiiip. Zool., XXIV. 180, 1893. 



Eostrum without lateral spines ; distal part turned upward at an angle of 

 less than 95'' in most specimens, but in some cases the inclination is greater ; 



* Aim. Mag. Nat. Illst.. 5th Scr., XVI. 418, 1885 ; Hep. Challenger Auomura, p. 167, Plate XIX. 

 Yig. 6, 1888. 



f Hcudcrson, Rep. (Jhallcuger Anomura,.p. 1G7, Plato XX. Pig. 1, 1888. 



% A. Milne Edwards et Eouvier, Ann. Sci. Nat., Zool, 7^'"« Scr., XVL 270, 1894. 



§ Ann. Mag. Nai. Hist., Gtli Scr., YII. 200, 1801. 



II Bull. MiKS. Comp. Zool., Vol. X., No. 1, Plate IX. Fig. 2, 2^ 1882; Ann. Kep. U. S. Pish Coinin. 

 for 1885, Plate VI. Pig. l,n 1880. 



( 



