78 Memoirs of the Indian Museum. [Voh. IV, 



diate and lateral carinae constitute a valuable character of the species. They are, 

 indeed, rather exceptional in their development in large individuals, but more or less 

 evident traces of them can usually be seen in large examples of the allied forms. 

 Balss (1910) in comparing this species with S. nepa notes a distinction in the carinae of 

 the carapace, those of the intermediate pair being confluent anteriorly with the 

 laterals in 5. nepa, whereas they end abruptly in 5. massavensis. The condition of 

 these carinae in S. oratoria and other large-eyed species of the group is, however, 

 identical with that found in 5. massavensis , while the confluence of the two carinae 

 in 5. nepa is not a constant character. 



The colouring of spirit material is not striking ; but there are large dark grey 

 patches on the second and fifth abdominal somites — a feature not found in 5. wood- 

 masoni or in S. oratoria var. perpensa. 



For the opportunity of examining a series of this scarce species I am indebted 

 to the Secretary of the Bombay Natural History Society, who has kindly forwarded 

 to me eight specimens, 45-108 mm. in length, obtained by Mr. F. H. Townsend in 

 the Gulf of Oman, lat. 25 21' N,, long. 58 07' H., at a depth of 175 fathoms. The 

 only other example I have seen is registered as follows: — 



— Persian Gulf. F. H. Townsend. 1 c? , 52 mm. 



Prior to an examination of the other specimens I had identified this individual as 5. wood- 

 masoni, while remarking on the difference in the proportions of the carapace and rostrum. On 

 re-examination I find slight but distinct traces of tubercles on the telson. The two small 

 specimens in the British Museum collection, recorded on p. 76 as 5. wood-masoni, should 

 also, in all probability, be referred to this species. 



The precise locality of the type specimen, which was obtained in the Red Sea, is 

 not given. Nobili has recorded the species from Massouah and Djibouti, while the 

 specimen determined by Balss was found at Suez. 



28. Squilla stridulans, Wood-Mason. 

 Plate V, fig. 66. 



1894. Squilla stridulans, Wood-Mason, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (6), XIII, p. 409. 



1895. Squilla stridulans, Wood-Mason, Figs, and Desc. of nine Squillidae, p. 5, pi. ii, fig. 3; 



pl.iii, fig. 1. 

 Squilla stridulans may be readily distinguished from the six preceding forms by 

 the following characters : — ■ 



1 . The lateral process of the fifth thoracic somite can scarcely be termed bilobed ; 



it consists of two sharp and subequal spines (fig. 66). 



2. The lateral carinae of the first five abdominal somites are sharply bicarinate 



throughout their length. 



For the rest the principal characters of the species are as follows ■ — 



The carapace is narrow anteriorly and its breadth behind the anterolateral angles 



is less than half the median length excluding the rostrum. The median carina is 



sharply defined throughout its course and is bifurcated in front for more than one-third 



its length anterior to the cervical groove, the junction of the two carinae being quite 



