524 COLLECTIONS FEOM THE WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN. 



the pterygostomian region ; the basal aiitennal joint is slender, but 

 not, as in E. aspera, longitudinally sulcated. The chelipedes in the 

 single male examined (which is, however, of very small size) are 

 small and slender ; the merus-joint armed with a longitudinal series 

 of small spines and other spines irregularly disposed; wrist and 

 palm also armed on the upper and outer surfaces with numerous 

 irregular spines ; palm slender, about twice as long as the fingers, 

 which are straight, not denticulated, and meet along their inner 

 margins. The merus-joints of the ambulatory legs are armed above 

 with a double longitudinal series of small spines, and there are 

 spines also on the two following joints. Colour (in spirit) rose- 

 pink. Length of the body to the apex of one of the rostral horns in 

 the largest specimen (a female) rather over 5 lines (11 millim.) ; 

 breadth nearly 3 lines (6 millim.). 



There are in the collection four females and a small male, from 

 Providence Eeef, 24 fms. (No. 215). 



This species is evidently nearly allied to E. lonyimanus, Stimpson, 

 dredged with Oorgoniw at 10 fms. off the Cape of Good Hope *, 

 which is only known to me by the short Latin diagnosis of its 

 author; but it is distinguished not merely by the much shorter 

 rostral spines and chelipedes (which may vary with age), but also 

 by the absence of teeth on the branchial regions and posterior margin 

 of the carapace, and the non-carinated ambulatory legs. Nothing is 

 said by Stimpson of the form of the flattened /if(p?7ZcB of the carapace, 

 nor does he mention the existence of the cardiac spine or of the 

 spines on the wrist and palm of the chelipedes, &c. As in his species, 

 the upper orbital fissure is closed in E. stimpsonii. 



Earynome erosa, A. M. -Edwards t, from Samoa (TJpolu), is a much 

 broader species, with less distinctly spinose legs, and the flattened 

 prominences of the carapace are smaller and very different in form 

 and position. 



11. Micippa thalia, Herbst, var. haani, Stimpson. 



A small male collected at Providence Island, 19 fms. (No. 217), 

 seems to belong here. An adult male, closely resembling De Haan's 

 figure, is in the British-Museum collection from Mozambique {Prof. 

 Biarusoni), designated " Micippa cornuta, Bianconi," and a small 

 male from Pa-tchu-San {H.M.S. ' Samarang '). 



This variety (for I can scarcely regard it as specifically distinct) 

 is mainly distinguished from the species designated M. thalia in the 

 Museum collection by having a prominent supraocular spine, and 

 by the much greater prominence of the spines on the gastric and 

 branchial regions and of the lateral margins in the adult ; in the 

 younger specimens, however, all except the supraocular spines are 

 very small. As the supraocular spines seem to be referred to in 

 Herbst's original description of M. thalia, they cannot be cited as 



* Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. p. 219 (1857). 



t Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, i. p. 78, pi. xii. fig. 1 (1873). 



