OCR Text |
Show 540 MR. E. J. MIERS ON [June 6, P A L I N U R U S L O N G I M A N U S , var. M A U R I T I A N U S , n. (Plate X X X V I . fig. 1.) The carapace is of the form usual in Palinurus, with the cervical suture very distinctly defined, and is everywhere covered with flattened tubercles whose anterior margins are bordered with a fringe of seta; the tubercles are smaller upon the hepatic and antennal regions ; the median rostral spine is small and narrow-acuminate ; on either side of it are two spines, and behind it, in a median longitudinal series, are three other small spines, of which the second is the largest; the supraocular spines are very large, the upper margin of each is armed with two smaller spines, the lower margin is entire; behind each of the supraocular spines, on the gastric region of the carapace, are three spines in a longitudinal series; below these are placed three spines on the hepatic region ; there is a strong spine, followed by a second much smaller spine, on the antennal region of the carapace below the eyes ; about eight spines are placed in a transverse series along the front of the cardiac and branchial regions, immediately behind the cervical suture. The segments of the postabdomen are without spines or tubercles (except the lateral and marginal spines), and are marked with transverse linear sutures, which are often interrupted, and vary in number and disposition on the several segments; their arrangement will be best understood by a reference to the figure; the lateral lobes in the first to sixth segments terminate in a strong spine, which, in the second to fifth segments, is long and curved backward, and is followed by a small spinule on the rounded posteio-lateral margins. On the sternal surface of the body, on those segments with which the second to fourth legs are articulated, a prominence bearing two spines or tubercles is situated on each side of the middle line of the body; the last sternal segment is armed with a strong spine on each side of the middle line of the body and one near the bases of the fifth legs; the inferior surface of the first postabdominal segment is armed with about six spinules, the second to fifth segments with two, and the sixth segment with three spinules. The eye-peduncles are of moderate thickness; the eyes (with their cornese) are very large and subspherical; the median portion of the ophthalmic segment is visible in a dorsal view, as in the typical Pulinuri; and in form the antennulary segment with its stridu-lating apparatus, and the antennules and antennae, do not essentially differ from the same parts in P. vulgaris; the flap of the stri-dulating apparatus is indurated : the antepenultimate joint of the peduncle of the antennules nearly reaches to the end of the peduncles of the antennae. The antennas are broken, hut are considerably longer than the body ; the joints of the peduncles are covered with flattened, ciliated, squamiform prominences resembling those of the carapace, and are armed with strong spines ; the flagellahave a line of longish hairs on their under surface. The left chelipede (the only one preserved) is very long and robust, more than half as long again as the first ambulatory legs; the merus has its upper margin compressed and subacute, armed with a spine at the distal end of its upper margin ; behind it, and at some distance from one another, are two |