OCR Text |
Show 238 MR. MIERS ON A THELPHUSA FROM KILIMA-NJARO. [Mar. 3, carapace adjoining the antero-lateral angles of the buccal cavity are very distinctly granulated. The eye-peduncles are slender (tor a species of this genus), and the eyes do not attain the exterior angle of the orbit. The exterior maxillipedes are formed as in L. perlata, having the ischium and merus of the endoguath distally truncated, the merus rounded at its antero-extemal angle, and scarcely emar-ginate at its antero-internal angle. The chelipedes in the adult male are unequal, the right the larger ; in both the merus is armed with a series of spinules on the anterior margin, and with a somewhat longer spine near the distal extremity ; the carpus with a spine followed by a smaller spinule on the inner margin ; the palm is somewhat compressed and nearly smooth, rounded above ; the dactyl and pollex are denticulated on the inner margins, and have between them, when closed, a rather narrow interspace ; the dactyl is slightly arcuated and as long as, or rather shorter than, the palm. The ambulatory legs are of moderate length, with the fourth to sixth joints compressed, and with the superior margins acute ; the margins of the penultimate joints near to the distal extremity and the dactyli are armed with small spinuliform teeth, which on the dactyli are disposed in four longitudinal series. Adult mcde. lines. millims. Length of carapace 17i 37 Breadth of carapace about .... 25| 54*5 Length of a chelipede 44 93-5 This form may be distinguished from other African species in which the postfrontal crest is distinctly developed, by the following characters :-From T. perlata, M . Edw., which is found at the Cape and Port Natal, by the wider transverse carapace, which is more dilated at the branchial regions, and not dorsally granulated near the antero-lateral margins, and by the form of the orbit, whose inferior margin is regularly concave (not as in specimens referred to T. perlata in the M u s e u m Collection), abruptly angulated near the interior subocular lobe. From T. injiata, M . Edw., by the less convex carapace, straight postfrontal crest, and the granulated line which borders the antero-lateral margins of the carapace. T. aubryi, M . E., T. africana, A. M . E., and T. emarginata, Kingsley, from the Gaboon, West Africa, and Port Natal, have an additional tooth between the exterior angle of the orbit and the postfrontal crest. In T. goudoti, M . E., from Madagascar, the postfrontal crest is less developed, and the immobile finger of the chelipedes forms more or less of an angle with the inferior margin of the palm. Another species from Madagascar, T. madagascariensis, A. M . E., which has not, I believe, been figured, is distinguished by the lesser development of the postfrontal crest and the straighter fingers of the chelipedes, which meet along their inner margins. In the West-African T. bayoniana, T. anchietce, and T. dubia, Brito Capello, the lateral epibranchial tooth is more developed. In |