398 MR. J. E. HENDERSON— A CONTRIBUTION 



ring is seen on the anterior part of each branchial region, the two being connected poste- 

 riorly by a line which passes back in tbe middle of the carapace as far as the hinder 

 margin ; the hepatic region has a brownish border. The merus, carpus, and propodus of 

 the chelipedes have each a proximal brown band, and the fingers are crossed by a similar 

 band near their bases ; the ambulatory legs show bands of pale brown. 



A female is 145 mm. long and 133 mm. wide ; the right chelipede 24 mm. long. 



Leucosia orbicularis, Bell, ought, I think, to be placed in the genus Philyra ; it has the 

 epistome much more prominent than the front, a character which distinguishes it at once 

 from the present species. Pseudophilyra Perryi, Miers, is distinguished from P. Melita 

 by having a ridge on the frontal part of the carapace, passing back from the median 

 frontal tooth. Leucosia pubescens, Miers, is, I think, correctly placed in the genus 

 Leucosia, as it has a distinct thoracic sinus ; De Man suspects its identity with his 

 Pseudopliilyra LLoedtii. There is some confusion in regard to the genus Pseudophilyra, 

 which undoubtedly comes very near to Philyra and the two can scarcely be separated ; 

 at the same time Pseudophilyra may conveniently be retained for those species with the 

 general facies of Leucosia, but with no thoracic sinus. 



Distribution. Mergui (De Man). 



176. PSETTDOPHILYEA PTJSILLA, n. sp. (PI. XXXVII. figs. 13-15.) 



Gulf of Martaban, five females with ova, two males (Oates). 



This species — one of the smallest of known Leucosiids — has the carapace smooth, and 

 excavated antero-laterally, with a very slight hepatic swelling. The front is straight, 

 except for the presence of a small obtuse median tooth, from which a faint carina runs 

 back in the middle line of the anterior third of the carapace ; the internal orbital angle is 

 but little prominent. A finely granulated marginal line is seen bordering the carapace 

 laterally and posteriorly. The epistome is very short and is covered by the front. The 

 exognath of the external maxillipedes has its outer margin very slightly curved. 



The chelipedes are moderately long in the male, but much shorter in the female. The 

 merus is provided with small rounded tubercles on its proximal two thirds, which are 

 arranged in rows and best seen on the inner surface ; the carpus and propodus are smooth 

 with the exception of a series of minute granules on the inner surface of the hand. A 

 small articular tubercle is seen on both the inner and outer margins of the propodus at 

 the carpal articulation. 



The fingers are faintly sulcate externally, and separated by a slight basal hiatus in both 

 sexes, which occupies slightly more than half the interval ; they are feebly toothed in the 

 male, but without teeth in the female. The ambulatory legs are smooth. The male 

 abdomen gradually tapers to the apex and is smooth externally, with the lateral margins 

 of the basal segments slightly wavy or irregular in outline ; the female abdomen is smooth 

 and very convex. 



The front is dark brown in colour, and a short distance behind on the surface of the cara- 

 pace, but separated by an uncoloured band,is anirregular semilunar mark on each branchial 

 region, with the convexity of the curve outwards, and a few small spots are seen towards 

 the middle of the carapace. Some transverse markings occur on the chelipedes at the 



