a 
by Rev. 7. R. R. Stebbing. 7 
* ATERGATIS FLORIDUS (Linn). Plate II. 
Under the reference given above to the Annals of the South African 
Museum it will be seen that I have there accepted Miss Rathbun’s 
ruling that this species should be called A. ocyroe (Herbst). That, I 
suppose, takes it for granted that Montagu’s Cancer floridus is 
identical with the species so named by Linnaeus. But if we accept 
de Haan’s opinion that the Linnean species is the same as the Cancer 
Jloridus of Rumph, then that highly appropriate name will anticipate 
Herbst’s ocyroe. Rumph regards it as equivalent to the Malay 
vernacular name Cattam Bonga, that is, Flower-crab, so called because 
it has*the most beautiful carapace that there is, as if it were bestrewn 
with flowers. 
When the several figures and descriptions referred to this species 
are compared, the differences, whether due to natural variation or some 
other cause, make its identification rather perplexing. 
In defining the genus, Alcock says that the front of the carapace 
has “its edge shaped like cupid’s bow (7.e., not bilobed).” But Herbst 
gives ‘“‘fronte subtruncata medio sulcata,” which agrees with our 
specimen. This specimen attracted attention by the elegant symmetry 
of the markings, dark brown on an orange ground as preserved, but 
according to Mr. Bell Marley in the fresh state the ground is greenish- 
yellow with dark claret markings. | Herbst observes that what. gives 
the details of the pattern an extremely beautiful appearance is that 
each blotch and spot is surrounded by a fine white line. This is the 
case in the Natal specimen, though I have not known how to show it 
in the black and white drawing, nor has Herbst done so in his coloured 
figure. It is difficult to believe that Dana’s species (U.S. Expl. Exp., 
vol. xiii, p. 159, pl. 7, fig. 4) can belong here with ‘“‘ colour deep green, 
passing into and covered with a network of white or yellowish-white.” 
He is himself doubtful on the point. Stimpson says that living 
specimens from Loo Choo “are of a dark yellowish-brown color above, 
with reticulating cream-colored blotches.” 
In the specimen from Natal, on the gastric region a central spot is 
prettily surrounded by six similar spots. The middle of the carapace 
is occupied by a large artistic design, followed by an ovate blotch, the 
rest of the pattern being only in a general way symmetrical. But the 
* Mr. Bell Marley has called my attention to a mistake in the colour- 
description of Atergatis roseus, volume i, p. 437. The colours referred to 
under Eurycarcinus natalensis, p. 436, rightly belong to Atergatis roseus, and 
those referred to under the latter belong to another species. [Editor]. 
