24 The Malacostraca of Natal 
C@NOBITA CAVIPES, Stimpson. 
1858. Cenobita cavipes, Stimpson, Pr. Ac. Sci. Philad., p. 245 (83). 
1862. Cenobita violascens, Heller, Verl. Zool. Ges. Wien, vol. xii, p. 
524. 
1865. C.v., Heller, Crust. Novara, p. 82, pl. 7, fig. 1. 
1900. Cenobita cavipes, Nobili, Ann. Mus. Genov., Ser. 2, vol. xx, 
p. 495 (23). 
1902. C.c., de Man, Abh. Senck. Nat. Ges., vol. xxiv, p. 743, pl. 24, 
fig. 46. 
1905. C.c., Alcock, Indian Decap. Crust., pt. 2, p. 146, pl. 14, fig. 
1 (with synonymy). 
The Durban specimen has the characters which Alcock selects for 
distinguishing this species from others in the Indian group of the 
genus ; the acicle fused with the second joint of the second antenne ; 
eye-stalks strongly compressed ; a brush of hairs on the inner surface 
of the palm in both chele ; no stridulating mechanism on the palm of 
the left chela, coxz of the fifth perzeopods little produced. As to this 
last point Alcock says that the cox ‘‘are hardly more prominent in 
the male than they are in the female.” Appearances justify the 
expectation. | 
For identification of this species the great size suggested C.. clypeatus, 
but there it is only the right chela that has the brush of hairs and the 
ophthalmic scales have the free edge serrulate or crenulate, whereas 
here they are simple, acute. Next, a large dark patch on the outer 
surface of the palm in the left chela suggested C. rugosus, but that 
chela has a stridulating mechanism which is here wanting, and Nobili 
has already noticed that the brown patch of colour is common to the 
two species. 
The length of the carapace in the middle line is 39 mm. Alcock 
gives that of a large female as 31 mm., for C. rugosws. He says that 
a carapace 30 mm. long was comparatively rare, and that of the largest 
egg-laden famale in the Indian Museum was only 24 mm. long. The 
left chela of the Durban specimen has the length and breadth of the 
palm equal, 26 mm. ‘The third peropod on the left has the finger 
strongly ridged on the concave side, which is not the case with the 
corresponding finger on the right. 
The specimen was collected in Durban Bay by Mr. D. R. Boyce. 
