STOMAPODA. 311 



or of small feet, and, at least in several — the Squillse, — their exter- 

 nal base as well as that of the two anterior feet properly so called, 

 exhibits a vesicular body. 



The Stomapoda are all marine Crustacea. Their favourite habi- 

 tat is in the intertropical latitudes, and they are not found beyond 

 the temperate zones. Of their habits we are totally ignora-nt; that 

 those which are furnished with claws use them in seizing their prey, 

 in the manner of those Orthoptera called Mantes^ we cannot doubt. 

 Hence their vulgar appellation of Sea-Mantis: they are the Cran- 

 gones and Crangines of the Greeks. According to Uisso they pre- 

 fer sandy bottoms in deep water. Other Stomapoda, those of our 

 second family, being less favoured with natatory appendages, and 

 having a much flatter and more superficially extended body, are ge- 

 nerally found on the surface of the water, where they move very 

 slowly. We will divide the Stomapoda into two families. 



FAMILY I. 



UNIPELTATA. 



In this family the shell consists of a single shield^ of an elongated 

 quadrilateral form, usually widened and free behind, covering the 

 head, the antennae and eyes excepted, which are placed on a com- 

 mon anterior articulation, and at least the first segments of the body. 

 Its anterior extremity terminates in a point, or is preceded by a small 

 plate with a similar end. All the foot-jaws, the second of which 

 are very large, and the four anterior feet are closely approximated 

 to the mouth on two inferiorly converging lines, and have the form 

 of claws with a single finger or mobile and flexed hook. With the 

 exception of the second feet all these organs are furnished at their 

 external origin with a little pediculated vesicle. The other six feet, 

 at the base of whose third segment is a lateral appendage, are linear, 

 terminated by a brush, and simply natatory. The lateral antennas 

 have a scale at their base, and the stem of the intermediaries is com- 

 posed of three filaments. The body is narrow and elongated; the 

 ocular pedicles are always short. 



This family is composed of but one genus, that of 



Squilla, Fab,, 

 Which is now divided into the True Squillse, Gomdadylus, Coronis, &c. 



