SPINDLE-LEGS 249 



The species Bennisia sagittifera, Norman, 1861, from 

 Guernsey, has since been identified with the Mediterranean 

 Ajhchistia scripta (liisso). The earlier specific name is 

 referred to letter-like markings on the underside of the 

 female, the later one to a beautiful arrow-like mark on the 

 back, Norman describing the pleon as ' very pale lilac, 

 elegantly painted on the third segment with a chevron of 

 a bright lilac' 



Family 7. — Nematocareinidce. 



The animal is smooth and slender. The first antennae 

 have two long slender flagella, the second a long narrow 

 scale and a long slender fiagellum. The mandibles have a 

 molar tubercle, cutting edge, and ' palp.' The trunk-legs 

 have the fifth joint much longer than the sixth ; the first 

 two pairs are small and slender. The telson is slender and 

 tapering. 



Spence Bate places two genera in this family. 



Nematocarcmus, A. Milne-Edwards, 1881, meaning the 

 ' threadlike crustacean,' has a two-jointed mandibular 

 ' palp,' a spoon-shaped terminal joint to the third maxilli- 

 peds, the second trunk-legs much longer than the first, 

 and the three following pairs extremely long. The first 

 antennae are frequently three or four times the length of 

 the animal. In the trunk-legs the articulation between 

 the third and fourth joints is ' of peculiar and unique 

 character, and seems probably adapted for the great 

 muscular strain consequent upon the length of the joints.' 

 The extremity of the third lies longitudinally under the 

 fourth, so that these joints overlap and support each other. 

 In the male the last three segments of the trunk have each 

 ventrally a pair of flat anteriorly projecting plates or 

 processes, only the middle pair being present in the female. 

 The range of depth of the species, which are now numerous, 

 seems to be from two or three hundred down to about two 

 thousand fathoms, and the distribution extends over the 

 Pacific and Atlantic, and to the Mediterranean. Nemato- 

 cwi-cinus ensifer, S. I. Smith, was originally made the type 

 of a new genus Eumiersia, which was afterwards recog- 



