58 



The chelipeds are longer than the whole body of the animal. 

 The first two joints are not much larger than those of the walking 

 legs ; the ischium is narrow, flattened, and quite short ; the 

 merus is very much thicker, and is practically cylindrical ; the 

 carpus is about as long as the merus and the ischium together, 

 and becomes thicker at the distal end ; the propodite is the 

 longest and stoutest joint of the appendage, and is almost as 

 long as the merus and carpus together ; the dactyl is about 

 half as long as the palm of the propodite. On the cutting edge 

 of the dactyl there is a large prominence near the base. The 

 tips of the fingers are incurved, and cross one another. The 

 Avhole surface of the appendage is covered with a large number 

 of scale-like protuberances arranged in longitudinal rows, and 

 each bearing three or four setae pointing forwards. The scales 

 are not always easy to see ; they are most prominent on the 

 lower surface of the merus, and decrease gradually till they 

 disappear about the base of the dactyl. Two teeth are present 

 at the anterior end of the lower side of the merus and also of 

 the carpus. 



The three pairs of walking legs which follow also bear scales 

 furnished with hairs, but they are often very difficult to detect. 

 The three pairs are sub-equal. The posterior margin of the dactyl 

 bears a row of teeth, of which that at the tip is the largest. 



The fifth pair of pereiopods are very much reduced ; they 

 end in chelae covered with long setae. The sternum of the 

 fifth pair is obsolete. 



Li the male the only pleopods present are those of the first 

 and second pairs. In the female, on the other hand, only the 

 appendages of the third and fourth segments are present ; 

 these are slender and three-jointed. The first and second pleopods 

 of the male are similar to those of U. nitidus var. concolor. 



The uropods are tucked underneath the sixth abdominal 

 segment along with the telson. They are rather narrow, and 

 have rounded posterior margins fringed with fine setae. There 

 is no transverse suture on either endopodite or exopodite. 



Size. — ^Hansen (1908) mentions some very large specimens 

 which were taken by the Thor off the south of Iceland, a male 

 and a female, measuring 33mm. and 40 mm., respectively. The 

 usual size seems to be about a quarter or a third less than this. 



General Distribution. — The species is known from the west 

 €oast of Africa as far south as Cape Bojador (Milne-Edwards), 

 from the Canaries and Azores (Milne-Edwards and Bouvier), 

 from the Spanish coast (Bonnier), and the Bay of Biscay 

 (Caullery, Kemp). More recently it has been recorded by 

 Hansen from the south of Iceland. 



Irish Distribution. — So far as I know this species has not 

 hitherto been correctly recorded from British or Irish waters. 

 Caiman (1896) gives " Uroptychus rubrovittatus " in the list of 

 species from the south-west of Ireland, but I have had the 

 opportunity of examining these specimens in the Irish National 



