1921] Schmitt: The Marine Decapod Crustacea of California 187 



Distribution. — The U. S. National Museum lias recently received four other 

 specimens, an ovigerous female taken off Point Fermin in 10 fathoms by the 

 Venice Marine Biological Station, and two males and an ovigerous female col- 

 lected at Laguna Beach by W. A. Hilton. 



Bemarks. — Another male (fig. b above) dredged at Santa Catalina Island 

 in 1863 by Dr. J. G. Cooper, measuring 4.3 mm. long to end of horns and 4.2 mm. 

 wide, differs notably from the more typical forms in the following particulars: 

 "The frontal lobes are prolonged in cylindrical blunt spines; the upper orbital 

 margin has an inner rectangular sinus, while the fissure next the outer tooth is 

 larger than in the typical form ; the first tooth of the lateral margin is nearer the 

 posterior tooth, than it is to the orbital tooth; the surface is more uneven, and 

 more coarsely granulate. The legs are absent. I think the differences are not those 

 of age, and indicate a distinct species, to which, however, I hesitate to give a name 

 on account of the poor condition of the specimen" (Rathbun, 1904a, p. 169). 



. . . these crabs surely receive their full share of attention in the aquarium. 

 They persist in carrying about upon their backs pieces of shell, pebbles, sticks, 

 fragments of seaweed, or entire shells with their living contents, and seem much 

 embarrassed without some such covering. When placed in a glass dish where 

 nothing else was available, one seized a snail shell more than twice its own size 

 and seemed perfectly content when it had this firmly gripped upon its back. 

 They are found in 15-20 fathoms of water on gravel and shell beds. The two 

 rear pairs of legs are peculiarly modified into upturned hooks for gripping objects 

 carried on their backs. And the dorsal surface of the carapace is reduced to a 

 plane (Nininger). 



Family Leucosiidae 



Carapace crab-like; more or less rounded, very hard, afferent (incurrent) open- 

 ings to gill chambers lie on either side of mouth at base of third maxillipeds. 

 Third maxillipeds completely close the buccal cavern; the thr.ee terminal joints 

 (constituting palp) wholly concealed by the triangular fourth (merus) joint. 

 Antennae small. Legs normal in size and position. Abdomen hidden under the 

 thorax. Male and female genital openings sternal. 



Genus Randallia Stimpson 



Carapace strongly convex, subhemispherieal, evenly rounded at sides, with 

 two lobes or teeth at posterior margin. Front narrow, very short, with a concave 

 anterior margin. Merus of third maxillipeds subtriangular, not much shorter than 

 the ischium, reaching nearly as far forward as the front. Chelipeds rather long; 

 merus subcylindrieal ; hand narrow; fingers acute and somewhat compressed. 

 Ambulatory legs of moderate length; joints not dilated; dactyls styliform. 



Key to the California Species of Randallia 



I. Carapace of adult nearly smooth, sensibly longer than wide; space between 

 posterior mediar, pair of spines or tubercles less than between median and 

 lateral. Young -cith unequal, more or less rough tubercles. 



ornata, p. 188. 

 II. Carapace covered with large, pearly, beadlike, more or less equal tubercles; 

 carapace suborbicular, but slightly longer than wide; space between 

 posterior median pair of spines or tubercles greater than between median 

 and lateral. (Not known north of San Diego.) 

 . bulligera, p. 189. 



