200 CARL BOVALLIUS, äMPHIPODA HYPERIIDEA. I. 2. HYPERIID^. 



IJliperia benrjalensis. 



Colour. »The greater part of the surface of the body and appendages is liberally besprinkled with 

 patehes of black pigment, so that, seen in the vvater, they appeared of a dark reddish 

 grey tint. The pigmentation is deepest on the pleura of the thoracic segments, on the 

 basipodites of their appendages, and on the abdomcn.» (Giles.) 



Length. »2,5 mm.» (Giles.) 



Hab. The tropieal region of tlie Indian Sea: »tlie Bay of Bengal.» (Gtles.) 



Syil. 1887. Lestrigomm henffaleii.ris, G. M. GILES. — »On six new Arapliipods from tlie Bay of Ben- 



gal». Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 

 Vol. 56. Part 2, n:o 2, p. 224, pl. 6, fig. 

 1—10. 



The description of Giles does not give inany chai^acteristics useful for the defini- 

 tion of his species, but contains some statements which, if they are not dne to mis- 

 observation, are entirely new, and important for our knowledge of the phylogenetic rela- 

 tion.s of the Hyperids. He says for instance tliat the last ural segment is imnited ii-itliout 

 fiuture to the short, accurately »eniicircular telsoiv^; and that the fterond and third ural 

 segments are free, not eoalesced. The latter feature is not improbable because it is known 

 to exist in the genus Vibilia, where some species have the segments in question free and 

 others have them eoalesced. The former statement on the other hand I am much inclined 

 to think may be dne to an erroneons observation, as I have myself often found the telson 

 in species of Hyperia and allied genera to be very thin, and perfectly hyaline, so that 

 it may easily escape observation when examined in the microscope by transmitted light. 

 I have also found that in raany species the middle part of the hind side of the last ural 

 segment projects more or less to give support for the articulation of the telson. I ina}' 

 venture the supposition that Giles saw and delineated such a projection — which naturally 

 is united without suture to the last ural segment — in.stead of the true telson. Also the 

 statement that the second pair of uropoda are longer than the third pair seeins to need 

 coi-roboration, as such a fact is not known from any other species in the \vhole trihe. 



As it is figiM^ed by Giles the species is easily distinguished from its allies by the 

 length of the carpal process of tlie second pair of pera^opoda. 



From his description I quote the following passages: 



»The liead is the broadest portion of the animal, the two immense eyes ])rojecting consi- 

 derably beyond the very narrow thorax when seen from above.» 



»The eyes are of large size and distinctly faceted, the anterior faceted membrane being 

 easily separable, and they cover the entire upper and lateral aspects of the head, the anterior 

 aspect of which is deeply excavated for the reception of the antenniu.» 



»The thorax is composed of seven distinct, bnt very short, segments; the jiinction between 

 the pleura and the coxal plates being härd to make ont, as also are the junctions of the terga 

 of the first 5 thoracic segments. The segments increase in length .slightlv from before backwards, 

 but not to any very marked exteut: the entire thorax forming less than a third of the entire 

 lenoth of the animal.» 



