

PYCNOGONOIDEA. ^391 



Pycnogonum ORIENTALE. 



Cephalothorax stettatus, segments medio connatis, delude liberis. Abdo- 

 men breve, postfcl angustius, obtusum. Truncus buccalis oblongus, 

 subcylindricus, corpore vix brevior. Segmentum cephalieum non trans- 

 versum, posticd angustius e segmento sequente non discrete. Pedes 

 crassiusculi, nudiusculi, articulo primo vix oblongo, sequentibus quin- 

 que subcequis, tertio paulo breviore. 



Cephalothorax stellate, segments connate only at middle. Abdomen 

 short, narrowing behind, obtuse. Buccal trunk oblong, subcylin- 

 drical, hardly shorter than body. Cephalic segment not transverse, 

 narrowing behind, not separated from the following segment. Feet 

 rather stout, nearly naked, first joint hardly oblong, next five sub- 

 equal, third a little shorter. 



Plate 96, fig. 2 a, animal (mutilated), enlarged; b, body of same, 

 more enlarged, showing the branching of the alimentary cavity ; c, 

 appendage to cephalic segment, corresponding to the ovigerous legs. 



From a coral reef in the Balabac Passage. Collected, February 11 



1842. 



Length of body, including trunk, nearly one and a half lines; span 

 of legs, two and a half lines. 



In a paper in the Proceedings of the American Academy of Sciences, 

 we made for this species the new genus Astridium, based on the small 

 size of the appendages on the under side of the cephalic segment, pro- 

 perly the ovigerous legs. It is still possible that the genus is a good one. 

 Yet we suspect that these legs may have been in a half-developed state ; 

 and that the species may be a true Pycnogonum. They were imper- 

 fectly three-jointed, and quite short, not exceeding in length the 

 breadth of the cephalic segment. The form of the cephalic segment 

 is a little peculiar, being much narrower at base than anteriorly. On 

 either side, in front, there was a slight protuberance and an obscure 

 spot within, but the antennae were wanting. The legs have a few 

 short setae, none half as long as breadth of joints. 



Astridium orientale, Dana, Proc. Amer. Acad. Sci., ii. 61, 1849. 



