I. '21. 39 



The result then of these investigations is that there is no 

 genuine record of E. excavatus from a loeality further north 

 than the southern part of the Bay of Biscay, from which 

 specimens have been recorded by Milne-Edwards and Bouvier. 



Not a single specimen of E. excavatus has been taken by the 

 Helga, but E. variabilis has been captured at upwards of forty 

 different stations off the west and south-west coasts of Ireland, 

 the total number of specimens being about two hundred and 

 twenty. Amongst these are found all the different variations 

 described by the French authors (1900). 



The rostral projection is gently rounded and not prominent. 

 The lateral frontal processes end each in a small sharp tooth. 

 The dorsal surface of the carapace and the frontal and lateral 

 edges bear a sprinkling of setae which are mostly present in 

 small groups. 



The telson is almost symmetrical. Its posterior edge is 

 concave and fringed with small teeth. 



The eyestalks are moderately long and much swollen distally. 

 The corneal area is large, slightly emarginate behind, on the 

 upper surface. There are a few tufts of long setae on the 

 dorsaJ surface of the eyestalks. The ophthalmic scales are rather 

 small. A sharp spine is attached just below and to the inside 

 of the tip. The scales are deeply hollowed on the upper sur- 

 face. The eyes reach the base of the third joint of the antennu- 

 lar, and slightly beyond the middle of the fifth joint of the 

 antennal peduncle. 



On the basal joint of the antennular peduncle there is a tooth 

 at the side of the opening of the auditory sac, and a pair of 

 teeth at the distal lower extremity. The second and third joints 

 are longer and thinner, the third being longer than the second 

 and slightly dilated at the distal end. The upper flagellum is 

 slightly longer than the third joint. 



The first joint of the antennal peduncle is short and broad 

 and has a very short spinule on the outer edge. The second 

 is large and massive ; the outer process reaches or passes 

 slightly beyond the base of the fifth joint and ends in a sharp 

 point ; it has a row of eight to ten teeth on its inner edge. The 

 acicle is long and narrow^ reaching the middle of the fifth joint 

 or slightly beyond. The third and fourth joints are of the 

 usual form. The fifth is longer than any of the others and is 

 slightly compressed laterally. The whole peduncle is more 

 or less setiferous. The antennae are about three times as 

 long as the carapace. 



The right cheliped is extremely variable in form and it is 

 owing to this circumstance that such confusion has arisen 

 with regard to the synonymy of the species. The variation 

 is practically confined to the propodite and the dactyl. The 

 remaining joints are more or less uniform in all specimens. 

 The carpus bears a covering of sharp denticules on its upper 

 surface, and on the inner edge these are enlarged to form a row 

 of strong teeth. The propodite exhibits all grades of variation 



