234 G. M. Giles— Notes on the Ampliipoda of Indian Waters. [No. 3, 



but not prolonged, propodite. As in its predecessor, the articulation 

 between the carpus and merus is extremely oblique. 



In the female, the gnatJiopods are both much smaller, the first, 

 though larger, being not disproportionately so to the second. The 

 subcheloe of both pairs are single and very rudimentary, that of the 

 first being barely opposible and the grip secured only by a few weak 

 spines on the propodite, while the second pair differ but little from an 

 ordinary ambulatory appendage. The carpo-meropodital articulation 

 of the first is oblique, but in the second gnathopod it is of the ordinary 

 type. 



In the young male, the 1st gnathopoda are comparatively small, but 

 can still be distinguished from those of the female by the presence of 

 the distally prolonged spine of the propodite. 



The 4th and 5th thoracic ap'pendages have rather long and falciform 

 dactylopodites, but are otherwise of the usual ambulatory type ; the fifth 

 is the longer of the two, being as long as the last four thoracic segments 

 and subequal to the sixth appendage, while the fourth, which is subequal 

 to the third, is at least one-fifth shorter. The sixth, seventh, and eighth 

 thoracic appendages resemble each other in general form, but increase 

 in dimensions, especially in length, from before backwards, the increase 

 being mainly in the great proportionate length of their distal articuli, 

 the length of their basi- and ischiopodites differing in much smaller pro- 

 portion, so that, while the sixth does not exceed the fifth in length, the 

 seventh appendage is as long as the entire thorax, and the eighth longer 

 than the seventh by the length of the animal's head. Their basipodites 

 are much compressed, but not distinctly buttressed. 



The first three abdominal appendages are large and powerful and 

 well armed with hairs, and the last three, short and cylindrical with 

 styloid rami, both protopodites and rami being armed with a number of 

 short stout spines. When extended, they all three reach about the same 

 level and their rami are subequal, the protopodite of the last pair being 

 extremely short. 



The animal was found in considerable numbers to all appearance 

 swimming freely in the water ; there was, however, abundant drift wood 

 which may have served as its hiding place, aud the little creatures when 

 under observation showed a very strong tendency to take advantage of 

 such opportunities of concealment. 



It is possible that those taken had been washed from their hold by 

 the strength of the current, which often reaches a speed of 4| knots on 

 the Megna Flats. Still, I cannot say that I actually detected a specimen 

 burrowing a shelter for itself in any case that came under my obser- 

 vation. 



