260 OF THE DEEP-SEA CRUSTACEA 



in both of which species floods of pale lambent light 

 have been seen to gush from, as near as could be 

 judged, the openings of the organs that correspond 

 with the kidneys of higher animals. In both these 

 species the eyes are large and intensely black. Other 

 species in which the eyes are remarkable for their 

 large size and depth • of colour are the Andaman 

 lobster i^Nephrops andammiica), from 150-400 fathoms, 

 the blanket-crab, ChlcEuopagMriis andersoni (Fig. 2), from 

 102 fathoms, the stopper-fisted hermit-crab, Pylocheles 

 miersii (Fig. 65), from 185 fathoms, and the squeaker- 

 crab, Psopheticus stridulans (Fig. 50), from 170-420 

 fathoms : all of these, it is to be observed, are inhabi- 

 tants of the upper parts of the abyssal slope, which, 

 though gloomy, is not absolutely dark ; and I think 

 our facts are sufficient to justify the statement that 

 most of the Crustacea of this zone which do not 

 burrow, will be found to have large and deeply-coloured 

 organs of vision. This probably explains the large- 

 ness of the eyes in the species of Munida (Fig. 51) 

 which are so common on coral ground in depths rang- 

 ing from 1 50 to 400 fathoms. The species figured is 

 the common Munida andamanica, which, however, the 

 artist has drawn in a conventional attitude, with the 

 abdomen fully extended ; in life the after half of the 

 tail is folded, as is shown in the figure of Munidopsis 

 tricsna (Fig. 58). There are, on the other hand, 

 certain ground-loving species of the sunless abysses. 



