138 



A. Alcock — Carcinological Fauna of India. 



[No. 1, 



Front between a third and a fourth the greatest width of the 

 carapace, deflexed, cleft in the middle line into two lobes. Upper edge 

 of orbit tumid, usually with two fissures or sutures ; a third below the 

 outer orbital augle : eyestalks short and thick. 



Antennules folding obliquely or nearly transversely. Basal anten- 

 nal joint usually stopping at the angle of the deflexed front, but often 

 prolonged beyond this, towards or nearly into the orbit ; the flagellum 

 is about as long as the orbit, and is lodged in the orbital hiatus. 



Merus of the external maxillipeds with the anterior border little 

 oblique. 



Chelipeds equal in both sexes ; fingers usually blunt-pointed, some- 

 times hollowed- out at tip. 



Abdomen of the male five-jointed, somites 3, 4, 5 fused. 



Small crabs, distinguished by the elaborate lobulation of the cara- 

 pace, and by the form of the front, which is usually deep-cleft in the 

 middle line to form two prominent round-pointed lobes. 



Key to the Indian species of Acteea. 



I. Legs of ordinary form: — 



i. The lobules of the carapace, and the legs, when granular, 

 bear miliary or vesiculous granules of nearly uniform 

 size, not tubercles : — 



1. Length of the carapace two-thirds or less than 

 two-thirds the breadth, postero-lateral borders ex- 

 tremely short and concave : — 



a. Carapace and legs covered with a short dense 

 fur, which does not, however, conceal the 

 lobules or their granules : — 



a. Fingers hollowed at tip, fur black ... A. tomentosa. 

 j8. Fingers long and pointed, fur light 



brown A. areolata. 



b. Carapace and legs with numerous bristles, 

 which do not form a coat ; fingers blunt- 

 pointed, but not appreciably hollowed at tip. A, hirsutissima. 



2. Length of the carapace rather more than two- 

 thirds the breadth, postero-lateral borders slightly 

 concave : — ■ 



a. Legs and chelipeds lobulated in the same 

 style as the carapace : — 



a. Lobules of the carapace very marked- 

 ly isolated and very convex, inter- 

 lobular grooves very broad and deep, 



and hairy A. rufopunctata, 



j8. Lobules of the carapace not remark- 

 ably isolated, the grooves with a short 

 almost invisible fur ..,,.., , A, speciosa. 



