I. '21. 59 



of large spines on the upper and posterior edges and another 

 row of smaller spines on the inferior edge. Except on the 

 inner side there are scattered spines on the surfaces. The 

 carpus is short, with large spines above and almost smooth 

 below. The propodite is compressed and not quite so long- 

 as the merus ; it bears spines on the upper, outer and lower 

 surfaces. The dactyl is curved and about two-thirds the 

 length of the propodite, ending in a sharp dark claw. On 

 the lowei' edge there is a row of about seven slender transparent 

 spines, sloping towards the terminal claw, and in the proximal 

 two-thirds of the upper edge a row of four or five low cal- 

 careous teeth. On the outer side, near the base, there is a 

 single strong tooth, and a similar tooth slightly further forward 

 on the inner surface. There are a few very small bunches of 

 setae near the lower edge. 



The legs of the last pair are very small and slender, and are 

 usually carried folded out of sight inside the branchial chamber. 

 Each ends in a minute chela, with broad flat fingers, which 

 appears admirably suited to the work of keeping the gills 

 clean. 



There are no pleopods in the male. In the female they 

 are present on the left side only ; they are uniramous and are 

 found on the second, third, fourth, and fifth segments. Uro- 

 pods are completely absent in both sexes. 



Size, — The extreme length of the carapace, spines included, 

 is at least 145 mm. in large specimens. 



General Distribution. — Lithodes maia occurs along the whole 

 length of the Norwegian coast, round the North Cape to Varanger 

 Fjord (Sars) and the south-western shores of the Murman vSea, 

 but not in the White Sea. One specimen is recorded from 

 Spitzbergen (Doflein) and one from the S. W. of Bear Island, 

 74° 25' N., 17° 36' E. (Birula). It is known from Denmark 

 Strait, S. of Iceland, and from the Faeroes (Hansen), is com- 

 mon on the* the east coast of Scotland, and is found off North- 

 umberland (Meek) and Yorkshire (Leach). It is recorded from 

 the Skagerak and Kattegat (Stephensen, Bjorck), from Bohus- 

 lan in Sweden (Goes), Denmark (Meinert) and as far south as 

 Holland (Hoek) and Belgium (van Beneden). It is abundant 

 on the west coast of Scotland, in the Shetlands and Orkneys 

 and has been found at the Isle of Man (Bell). The species is 

 also known from W. Greenland (Stephensen), Davis Straits 

 (Hansen) and from Nova Scotia, the Gulf of Maine and as far 

 south as 40° 3' N. on the American coast (Smith). It is not 

 found in water with temperature below zero. 



Vertical Distribution. — The species appears to live mainly 

 in waters of moderate depth, but has been found in 289 

 fms. in the Davis Straits and at 291 fms on the east coast 

 of America. 



Irish Distribution. — Bell (1853) mentions a specimen " in 

 the Museum of T.C.D., recorded to have been taken on the 

 coast of the county Wexford." The only specimen taken by 



