﻿May, 1854.] 



ELLIOTT SOCIETY. 



9 



remarks upon the genus and given somewhat in detail, is entirely applicable 

 to our species, mentioning distinctly the transverse piliferous stria?; the only 

 important omissions are, the spine forming the external angle of the eye, the 

 spine on the carapax behind the eye, the number of the teeth on the anterior 

 edge of the carpus, and the spines on its posterior edge. The figure, pi. 5, 

 fig. 2, is like most of those in the work, very stiff, and inartistic, as well as in- 

 accurate, exhibiting dots instead of striae, and gives but little help in deter- 

 mining the species; it shews, however, five or six teeth on the carpus. In 

 the specific descriptions, the description is given in reduced terms, and these 

 are inaccurate, for the carapax is said to be striated longitudinally (strie Ion- 

 gitudinalement), although the detailed description represents it as covered 

 with tranverse stria?, (couvert de stries transverses,) which must be correct, as 

 the comparison with Galalhea shews. The native country of Bosc's species 

 is said to be unknown. 



Next, Say in 1818, in the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences, 

 Philadelphia, vol. 1, p. 458, makes the following note. " Porcellana galathi- 

 na. We found many specimens on the coast of Georgia and Florida." No 

 reference is made to Bosc or to any author or describer of the species, nor 

 does any description of the species observed, accompany the note. 



In the Dictionnaire des Sciences Naturelles, tome xviii., p f 54, about the year 

 1820,* Leach writes thus under the article Pisidia, a subdivision of Porcella- 

 na made by him. "Pisidia Sayana, (Porcellana galathina, Say.) Test et la 

 quatrieme paire de pattes marques par de lignes courtes et transverses; front 

 trifide, le prolongement de milieu encore sous-trifide et finement granule. 

 Habite les cotes de la Floride dans 1'Amerique. Communique par mon ami, 

 M. Say sous le nom de Porcellana galathina." This is the whole account 

 given of the species. 



In 1825, Desmarest in his Considerations Generates sur la classe des Crusr 

 taces, following in the main, the system of Leach, under his Pisidia Sayana, 

 p. 199, refers to Leach as above, and repeats his description, with a few verbal 

 alterations. He mentions Bosp's P. galathina, but considers it as allied to, 

 and probably the same as P. sociata of Say, which view is manifestly erro- 

 neous. 



In neither edition of Lamarck's Animaux sans Vertebres, is there any de^ 

 scription of the species, but in each there is reference to Bosc's figure. 



In 1850, misled by the inaccurate phrase " longitudinally striated" in Boses 

 specific description, and overlooking the more detailed account, given just 

 before, of the same species, I considered the synonymy so unsettled as to be 

 induced to give (Proceed. Amer. Assoc., vol. iii,^ p. 190) to our species the 

 name P. sexpinosa. Reviewing the facts as above presented, and remem- 

 bering that Bose resided some time in Charleston (acting as Consul, if I am 

 rightly informed), and that some of our Crustacea bear his names, I think it 

 * I have not now access to the work, and my notes (Jo not give the year. 



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