164 AUSTRALIAN MALACOSTBACA. 



Sub-Tribe Thalassinidea. 

 Carapace usually deep and laterally compressed, with two 

 longitudinal and usually a dorsal suture. Scale of the external 

 antennae small or obsolete. Anterior legs largely developed, 

 usually laterally compressed and adapted to burrowing. The 

 integument of the body almost membranaceous in texture. 



Family I. GFBIIBM. 

 External maxillipedes pediform. Caudal and other abdominal 

 appendages broad. 



G-enus Gebia, Leach. 

 Carapace with a short triangular rostrum. Internal antennas 

 very short ; external antennae slender, without any basal scale. 

 External maxillipedes pediform. Anterior legs with the hand 

 elongate, compressed, imperfectly sub-chelate, the upper mobile 

 finger closing against a rudimentary inferior immobile finger. 

 Ambulatory legs monodactyle, first pair somewhat expanded and 

 compressed, tarsus styliform. Abdomen long, and expanded 

 posteriorly, without branchial appendages ; caudal appendages 

 broad. 



310. Gebia hirtifrons. 



Gebia hirtifrons, "White, Proc. Zool. Soc, p. 122 (1847) ; List 

 Crust. Brit. Mus., p. 71 (1847) ; Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. (2), 

 Vol. i., p. 225 (184-8) ; E. J. Miers, Zool. " Erebus and Terror," 

 Crust., p. 4, pi. iii., fig. 5; uec Dana; Kirk, Trans. N.Z. 

 Institute, xi., p. 401 (1879). 



Eront triangular ; anterior portion of carapace with six or 

 seven longitudinal rows of small tubercles, furnished at the tip 

 with tufts of hairs. Hand slender, hairy on its outer surface, 

 and not denticulated below, the immobile finger quite rudimen- 

 tary. Wrist with a spine at its upper apex, and one on the 

 inner surface, but none at the lower apex. 



Port Jackson, in the interior of sponges. 



The above description — from the brief and unsatisfactory 

 diagnosis of White, and from a note by Mr. Miers in the 

 Catalogue of the New Zealand Crustacea, descriptive of the 

 type specimen of the species in the British Museum — applies 



