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ii
which it may be distinguisbed from T. ferruginea, Latreille, i. e. by
tbe more acute lateral spines of the carapace, and the subcristate and
hairy palms of the chelipedes, and these characters are remarkably
constant in adult examples ; but young and half-grown specimens
can scarcely be distinguisbed except by the subcristate hands. Since
tbe publication of th at paper, a specimen has been added to tbe
Museum collectiou from Amboina (Dr. P. Bleeker).
40. Trapezia ferruguiea, Latreille.
A few specimens are in tbe collection from the Seychelles, 4 -1 2
fms. (No. 194).
Since 1878 specimens from Ceylon, Galle (Dr. W. Ondaatje), and
Hoiioluln (found among fishes of the collection of H.M.S. ‘ Challenger
’) have been added to tbe Museum collection.
41. Trapezia rnfopnnctata (Herbst).
Etoile Island, 13 fms. (No. 191), ten specimens of varying ages
and botb sexes; Glorioso Islands, 7-10 fms. (No. 219), an adult
male.
Specimens are in tbe Britisb-AIusenm collection from tbe Alan
ritiu s ; Aladagascar, Tamatave (Bev. Deans Coivan); Eodriguez (H.
Slater); Eed Sea (Col. J. Burton); El Tor (Major MacDonald);
Dfedalus Shoal (Lt.-Col. Playfair) ; Gulf of Suez (B. AlacAndrew);
and Ceylon (E. W. H. Holdsworth). I t is distributed, as I have
already noted, tbrougbout tbe Oriental Eegion.
Tbis species, as has been repeatedly observed, varies much in tbe
size and degree of acuteness of the frontal teeth, and in the size and
number of the red spots witb which tho body is covered. The
specimens from Etoile Island are mostly of the variety designated
by Dana T. maculata of MacLeay *, for which Eiippell’s name
T. guttata is an earlier and safer appellation f , characterized by the
less prominent and acute frontal lobes and smaller spots on the body
and legs. Tbe latter is not a character dependent upon the age of
tbe individual, since in the smallest example from Etoile, length of
carapace only 2^ lines (5 millim.), tbe spots are as large as in the
adult and large example from the Glorioso group. Another specimen
from Etoile exhibits an intermediate condition in its markings,
since several small spots are intermingled witb tbe larger ones.
Dr. J. G. de Man, in tbe first of his papers on Crustacea collected
by AI. J. A. Kruyt in the Eed Sea near Djeddah t , regards 1\ rufopunctata
and T. guttata as distinct species (t. c. ii. p. 176) §.
* In Smith’s Zool. S. Africa, Annulosa, p. 67 (1849).
t Beschreib. 24 kurzschwanzigen Krabben des rothen Meeres, p. 27 (1830).
t Vide ‘ Notes from tbe Leyden Museum,’ vol. ii. p. 171 (1880), and iii n Oa
(1881). ■ ^
§ I subjoin here a description of a mutilated Crustacean from Providence
siand,19 fms. (No. 217), ■which I cannot certainly identify with any genus or
Isianci,
species with which I am acquainted.
' As it is a female and wants the cheli-
CEUSTACEA.
42. Tetralia cavimanus, Heller.
Seychelles, 4 -12 fms. (No. 194), nine specimens ; Etoile Island,
13 fms. (No. 191), fivo specimens.
Specimens are in tbe Britisb-Museum collection from Eodriguez
(H. H. Slater) ; Eed Sea, Gulf of Suez (B. AlacAndrew) ; Dædalns
Shoal (Lt.-Col. Playfair) ; Eiji Islands, Ovalau, Totoya (H.M.S.
‘ Herald ’) ; and others without special locality. In some specimens
there is a very distinct transverse band of darker colour on the front ;
in others it is scarcely, or not at all, discernible. The pit on tbe
outer margin of the band near tbe wrist, whereby Dr. Heller distinguishes
this species from T. glaberrima (Herbst), varies greatly
in depth : ordinarily, in well-grown and even in smaller examples,
it is deep, well defined, and clothed witb hair ; but in other rather
small specimens it is so shallow as scarcely to be distinguishable
and devoid of hairs. Ordinarily, in adult males, the lower finger of
tbe larger chelipede is more or less strongly dentated on its inner
margin, and there is scarcely any interspace between tbe fingers
wben closed ; but in two very dark-coloured males from tbe
Seychelles, in tbe ‘ Alert ’ collection, the fingers are scarcely
dentated and are strongly arcuated, meeting only at tbe tips. A
similar variation occurs in a male from the collection of H.Al.S.
‘ H erald,’ wbicb, on account of tbe entire absence of tbe palmar
pit, is referred to T. glaberrima.
I think the T. heterodactyla of Heller is probably a mere variety
of T. cavimanus, to which species (if, indeed, it be distinct from
T. glaberrima) nearly all the specimens of this genus in the Aluseum
collection must be referred. Although several species of this genus
have been described, of earlier date than T. cavimanus, by Dana,
Stimpson, and Lucas, by none of these authors, I believe, is any
mention made of tbe subbasal pit on the palm of the chelipede
which is so characteristic of T. cavimanus.
pedes, I am not even sure whether it should be referred to the Cyclometopa or
to the Catometopa. In most of its characters, however, it nearly resembles a
species of Trapezia, differing mainly in the more elongated convex and regularly
hexagonal carapace and in the dactyli of the ambulatory legs. The carapace
is smooth and slightly but regularly convex ; the front is about half the
greatest width of the carapace, and is divided by three notches into foiLi- prominent
triangular teeth, the median notch being the deepest ; there is also a small
spinule or tooth at the inner supraocular angle, and a short spine at the widest
part of the carapace at the angle where the antero-lateral and postero-lateral
margins unite. The endostome or palate has faintly indicated longitudinal
ridges. The postahdomen is shaped nearly as in Trapezia. As in Trapezia, the
inner and inferior margin of the orbit reaches to the front and excludes the
antennæ, and bears a strong spine ; the basal peduncular joint of the antennæ
is rather short, and the penultimate joint reaches to the frontal margin. The
outer maxillipedes present nothing I’emarkablo, having a truncated merus-joint,
and exognath reaching to its extero-distal angle. Of the legs only the third and
fourth are present on each side ; these are rather longer and slenderer than in
Trapezia, and the three terminal joints are somewhat hairy ; the dactyli are
armed on their inferior margin with about half-a-dozen spinules, which increase
successively in length. Colour (in spirit) yellowish white. Length of carapace
nearly 4^- lines (9 millim.), breadth nearly 5 lines (10 millim.).
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