TO INDIAN CAECINOLOGT. 407 



margin of the carapace behind its middle. The front is entire and subacute, without 

 any trace of lateral teeth ; it is somewhat deflexed and the upper surface is not 

 channelled or hollowed out, but continuous with that of the carapace. The antero- 

 lateral margin is very short, merely corresponding to the superior orbital margin ; it is 

 regularly curved and without teeth. The lateral margin is very long and entire, 

 somewhat ill-defined, i. c. rounded, for the first or most anterior fourth of its length. 

 The subhepatic region has two slight and subparallel sulci, the upper of which is very 

 short, and contains a fissure passing back from the poorly marked external orbital angle; 

 the pterygostomial region is membranous. The eyes are somewhat elongated, and the 

 lower orbital margin is formed simply by the antennal peduncle. The rostrum when 

 viewed from below is seen to have an inferior vertical extension, which partly separates 

 the antennules, but which in this genus is not joined to the epistome, although it comes 

 very close to it. 



The chelipedes and ambulatory legs are covered with a short brown pubescence, most 

 dense on the former. The chelipedes, with the exception of their fingers, are devoid of 

 teeth or tubercles, and the hand is only slightly dilated. The first three pairs of ambu- 

 latory legs have strongly curved horny dactyli, and the third pair have a prominent lobe 

 at the outer distal end of the carpus. The elongated last pair of legs have the carpal 

 joint lying on the branchial region of the carapace in the cervical groove; the dactylus, 

 unlike that of the other legs, is straight, and the distal end of the propodus carries three 

 spinules. The abdominal segments in the female are smooth, with a broad rounded 

 median carina. The sternal sulci commence opposite the coxae of the last legs, and, 

 converging opposite the oviductal openings, run parallel as far as the interspace between 

 the bases of the chelipedes and first pair of legs, where they are separated by a double or 

 saddle-shaped tubercle. 



The larger specimen is without chelipedes, and has the carapace 19 mm. long, and 

 15 mm. broad immediately in front of the cervical groove, the distance between the 

 external orbital angles is 7 mm. ; the first leg is 20 mm. long, second leg 21 mm., 

 third leg 145 mm., fourth or last leg 22 mm. (all the legs measured from below and 

 stretched as far as possible). The smaller specimen, although also bearing ova, is onlv 

 14 mm. long. 



Both specimens are enveloped in a membranous covering apparently formed by an 

 ascidian. From P. latens, Stm. (Simon's Bay, Cape), the only other known species of 

 this genus, the one just described may be distinguished at once by its entire front, 

 whereas in Stimpson's species as is usual in the gvoup, the rostrum is tridentate. 



Genus Conchcscetes, Stimpson. 



200. CONCHCECETES AKTIFICIOSUS (Eabl\). 



Dromia artificiosa, Fabricius, Suppl. Ent. Syst. p. 360 (1798). 



Cancel- artificiosa, Herbst, Naturg. Krabben u. Krebse, Bd. hi. Heft 3, p. 54, tab. lviii. fig. 7 (1803). 



Conchoecet.es artificiosus, Stimpson, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., Dec. 1858, p. 226. 



Dromia conchifera, Haswell, Catal. Austral. Crust, p. 141, pi. iii. fig. 1 (1882). 



Madras, not uncommon (J. E. H.). 



58* 



