way, but the carpus is much more dilated, especially toward the posterior margin, its greatest width being half as great again as that of the merus.

Length of body of largest specimens, about 20 mm.

Hab.—Stephen Island, Cook Strait, New Zealand, on rocky shores.

Fig. 1.—Orchestia miranda, male; side view.

This brief diagnosis may be supplemented by the following more detailed description of a fully developed male :—

Body rather compressed. First side plate smaller than the second, by which it is overlapped, fifth as deep as the fourth. Third pleon segment

Fig. 2.—Orchestia miranda, male. ant¹, first antenna; ant², second antenna; pl³, inferior and posterior margins of third pleon segment.

(Fig. 2, pl³) with postero-inferior angle quadrate, its posterior margin with small low serrations each with a minute seta. Eyes black, round or slightly oval, the distance between them about equal to their greatest width.

First antenna (Fig. 2, ant¹) reaching to the end of penultimate joint of the lower; second and third joints subequal and a little longer than the

first; flagellum as long as peduncle, and containing about 8 joints Second antenna (Fig. 2, ant²) fully one-third the length of the body; penultimate joint of peduncle rather shorter than the ultimate, both rather broad; flagellum stout, subequal in length to the peduncle, of about 20 joints.

Mouth parts apparently not presenting any distinctive features.

First gnathopod (Fig. 3, gn¹) with side plate subtriangular, somewhat produced downwards anteriorly, its lower margin with a few stout setae, its inner surface with an irregular row of more slender setae extending from the insertion of the basal joint to the infero-anterior angle; merus with a small rounded pellucid process, carpus much longer than the propod, the pellucid area on each marked off from the rest of the joint by a row of stout setae, palm transverse, finger not extending beyond the true palm.

Second gnathopod (Fig. 3, gn²) with side plate produced at about the middle of the posterior margin into a subacute point, basal joint not much expanded, merus and carpus very short, propod very large, widening distally, anterior and posterior margins without setae, palm only slightly

Fig. 3.—Orchestia miranda, male. gn¹, first gnathopod, gn², second gnathopod

oblique, straight or a little convex, provided with a double row of short stout setae, finger strong with an enlargement at about its proximal third, end curved and fitting into a short groove at the end of the palm.

First and second peraeopoda alike and presenting no special features, the side plates subrectangular with rounded corners, posterior margin in each produced into a subacute process, setae on the various joints few and short, two or three stout ones on anterior border of propod at base of finger. Third peraeopod (Fig. 4, prp³) subequal in length to the two preceding, side plate with anterior lobe as deep as the fourth, basis broadly expanded, its posterior margin convex and serrate, merus and carpus somewhat widened, about twice as wide as the propod. Fourth peraeopod (Fig. 4, prp⁴) with basis similar to that of the third, ischium normal, merus widening greatly toward distal end, which is rather oblique and nearly as wide as the joint is long, carpus forming a large rectangular plate with rounded corners, nearly as broad as long, propod and finger normal, not expanded.

Fifth [ unclear: ] peraeopod (Fig. 4, prp⁵) longer than the fourth, and similarly expanded but with carpus fully as wide as long, its posterior margin being greatly produced and very convex.

Fig. 4.—Orchestia miranda, male. prp³, third peraeopod; prp⁴, fourth peraeopod; prp⁵, fifth peraeopod.

First and second uropoda (Fig. 5, urp¹ and urp²) normal, the peduncle and both rami in each bearing short stout spines. Third uropod (Fig. 5, urp³) with peduncle laterally compressed, its depth near the base nearly equal to the length, a few stout setae at distal end of upper margin, ramus

Fig. 5.—Orchestia miranda, male. urp¹, first uropod; urp², second uropod; urp³, third uropod; t, telson.

much shorter than peduncle, with a double row of small stout setae along upper margin. Telson (Fig. 5, t) longer than broad, narrowing slightly distally, posterior margin with small triangular notch, lateral and posterior margins supplied with short stout setae.

The ovigerous female^* differs from the male in having the second antenna more slender, in the absence of dilatation of the joints of the peraeopoda, and in the gnathopoda. In the first gnathopod (Fig. 6, gn¹) the basal joint is longer than any of the others, and is of equal width throughout, being about three times as long as broad, the carpus is considerably longer than the propod and widens slightly towards the distal end, the propod is oblong, rather narrower than the carpus, the palm is transverse, finger slender, not reaching beyond the palm; all the joints provided with a few stout spinules arranged in the usual manner. In the second gnathopod (Fig. 6, gn²) the basis is much widened, its hind margin straight, anterior sinuous and fringed with fine spinules, the greatest width at the proximal third being about one-half the length; in the remaming joints, in the branchia, and in the large incubatory plate the appendage presents the characters common to the genus. None of the peraeopoda have any joints

Fig. 6—Orchestia miranda, female gn¹, first gnathopod; gn², second gnathopod

expanded; in the fifth the basis has the posterior margin convex and serrate and not produced downwards beyond the extremity of the joint; the following joints are slender and of the usual form.

The immature males resemble the females except in the gnathopoda, which appear to acquire the special character of the male early, though they are for a time much smaller than in older individuals. In quite young males, though the gnathopoda have already acquired the characteristic form, the antenna and the peraeopoda show no sign of dilatation, but are quite like those of the females Among my specimens are numerous transitional stages from this up to the widely dilated peraeopoda of the adult males as already described; some of these would be difficult to distinguish from O. chiliensis.

The species now described, O. miranda, appears to belong to that section of the genus containing O. mediterranea, O. gammarellus, O. chiliensis, &c.,