48 . 
Mr. K. H. Barnard, M.A., has at my request drawn up the 
following list of these various forms, with short, popular 
descriptions, which will enable the non-scientific reader to 
determine them. All the species may also be seen in the 
South African Museum at Cape Town. 
Famity I—ASTACIDAE. 
True Lobsters. 
Besides the true Lobsters, Homard of the French, this 
family includes a few other marine genera of lesser importance. 
The fresh-water Crayfish (French: ecrevisse), in spite of their 
name, are more closely allied to this family than to the fol- 
lowing one. They are usually placed in a separate family. 
The following characters are useful in distinguishing this 
family from the Palinuridae and Scyllaridae: legs with 7 
joints ; the first enlarged and robust, ending in a strong pincer ; 
second and third pairs also ending in pincers ; first segment of 
the abdomen with appendages ; a pointed scale at the base of 
the long antennae. 
GENUS HOMARUS. 
Eyes well developed. First pair of legs very large and 
strong. 
Three species of Lobster are known—the European, the 
North American, and the Cape species. 
Homarus capensis. 
The Cape Lobster. 
This species is distinguished from the two northern species 
by the thick hair on the hand of the first pair of legs, which 
are about equal in size. In the northern lobsters the leg on 
one side is usually larger than that on the other side. 
Length : 4—5 inches. 
Greenish or olive-brown. 
It has been found in Table Bay and Algoa Bay, but is rare. 
GENUS NEPHROPSIS. 
Eyes small and rudimentary, without pigment. First pair 
of legs not very large. 
Nephropsis atlantica. 
This species is allied to the Norwegian Lobster, Nephrops 
norvegica. It is only found in deep water, and is at once 
distinguished by the small eyes. The rostrum is very sharp, 
with two spines along each side and two or three more at 
its base. | 
Length : 3 inches. 
Orange red. 
Off the Natal coast, 400 fathoms. Also found in the 
Atlantic and Indian Oceans. 
