176 Memoirs of the Indian Museum. [Vol. IV, 



their original form referring those interested in the question to Mr. Patience's full dis- 

 cussion. 



11. Gonodactylus furcicaudatus (Miers). 



1880. Gonodactylus furcicaudatus, Miers, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (5), V, p. 124, pi. iii, figs. 13-16. 

 1886. Frotosquilla (?) furcicaudatus, Brooks, Voy. H.M.S. ' Challenger,' XVI, Stomatop., p. 78. 

 1907. Gonodactylus furcicaudatus, Nobili, Mem. Ace. Sei. Torino (2), LVII, p. 410, pi. ii, fig. 6. 



The carapace is fully one and a half times as long as wide, and the anterior margins 

 on either side of the rostrum are straight and trend a little forwards , so that the narrow- 

 ly-rounded antero-lateral angles are in advance of the rostral base. The rostrum is 

 trispinous, but the lateral spines are less slender than in G. herdmani, and the basal 

 undivided part is considerably longer. 



The mandibular palp is composed of two segments. There is no movable spine at 

 the base of the raptorial propodus. 



The sixth abdominal somite is somewhat similar to that of G. brevisquamatus. In 

 the middle there are two large smooth prominences of no great height and nearly as 

 broad as long, and on either side there is a short intermediate ridge and a smooth lateral 

 swelling which is coterminous with the rectangular antero-lateral angles. 



The form of the telson is extremely peculiar and consists of a broad and very thick 

 anterior portion, abruptly truncate behind and with two long furci projecting from the 

 middle of the lower edge of the truncate portion. The dorsal part is nearly four times 

 as broad as long, strongly convex from side to side with its ridged lateral margins pos- 

 teriori}' divergent. An obscure tubercle is found on either side near the anterior end, 

 and three feeble and partially confluent swellings may be detected near the hinder edge. 

 The latter edge is nearly straight from side to side, but obscure median, interme- 

 diate and ; lateral lobes, separated by four very shallow emarginations, are shown. 

 There are numerous stout spinules on this edge, disposed in an irregular fashion. 

 Behind this margin the telson, which is of very considerable thickness is abruptly 

 and vertically truncate and the truncate portion, seen from behind, presents a kidney- 

 shaped outline and is hollowed and honey-combed in an extremely curious manner. 

 From the inferior edge of this portion, and from its middle point, two stout furci arise 

 which are longer than the rest of the telson. They are closely approximate at the base, 

 but near the tips they diverge outwards ; a few very fine spinules are visible on their 

 anterior margins. 



The peduncular segment of the uropods terminates in a dorsal spine projecting 

 over the base of the exopod and, of the two spines that form its ventralprocess, the inner 

 is more slender than the outer and only about half its length. The ultimate segment of 

 the exopod articulates with the basal segment at about the middle point of the latter. 

 On the external margin of the basal segment there are five small straight spines in the 

 anterior part, while at the distal end there are three stout recurved hooks. The ulti- 

 mate segment of the exopod is clothed all over its dorsal surface with setae of two 

 kinds. The central part, more particularly near the base, is beset with short club- 



