38 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxxi 



Localities represented in the TI. S. National Museum. 



FROM U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES STEAMER ATbatVOSS STATIONS. 



2741. — 1 female adult. Between Cape Charles and Long Island; 852 



fathoms. 

 2860. — 1 female. Between Sitka and Columbia River; 876 fathoms. 

 3329. — 1 young. Bering Sea; 399 fathoms. 

 3340. — 2 specimens (damaged). Between Unalaska and Kadiak; 695 



fathoms. 



Previous records. — West of Azores. 2,200 fathoms (Sars); Hawaiian 

 Islands, vicinity of Kauai Island; 850-767 fathoms (Ortmann). 



Another locality is off Sitka Sound, Alaska, 922 fathoms. 



6. GNATHOPHAUSIA DREPANEPHORA Holt and Tattersall. 



Gnathophausia drepanephora Holt and Tattersall, Rep. Fisheries Ireland, Pt. 

 2, Append. No. 4, 1905, p. 113, pi. xvm; Ann. Nat. Hist. (7), XVI, 1905, 

 p. 9, pi. ii. 



I have not seen this species, but I strongly suspect that it is only the 

 young stage of G. gigas. 



Holt and Tattersall create for it a separate section of the genus, 

 uniting characters of the two main divisions; it agrees in every respect 

 with our first division {a of the ke} T ), with the exception that the 

 epimera of the sixth abdominal segment are said to be not united 

 ventrally. 



Disregarding the latter character, G. drepanephora agrees in every 

 particular with G. gigas, making allowance for the much less advanced 

 age of the former (only 39 mm.); thus the spines of the carapace, 

 chiefly the postero-dorsal and the postero-laterals are much more 

 developed relatively. Further, in G. drepanephora, the epimera of 

 the five anterior abdominal segments are described and figured as pos- 

 sessing only a posterior lappet, which is produced and spiniform while 

 the anterior lappet is absent. This also may be due to age. 



As regards the epimera of the sixth abdominal segment, Holt and 

 Tattersall describe them as not united ventrally. We have seen above, 

 under G. gigas, that in young individuals (56 mm. long) these parts 

 are not completely united in the median line, and thus it appears pos- 

 sible that G. drepanephora represents only a stage that is younger yet 

 than the youngest known specimen of G. gigas. 



Lack of material of the young of G. gigas prevents the settlement 

 of this question finalty, but I am inclined to regard G. drepanephora 

 as the young stage of G. gigas. 



G. drepanephora has been found off the western coast of Ireland, 

 latitude 52° 27' 06" north; longitude 15° 40' west, in 1,770 fathoms. 



