Report on the zoological collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean ...

248 COLLECTIONS FROM MELANESIA.synonyms by giving a new designation to a female example and oneso doubtfully distinct, I should add, however, that in Dr. Coppinger'sspecimen there is scarcely any trace of pubescence on themiddle part of the dorsal surface of the carapace, which is probablyworn smooth by abrasion.Two females received in the second collection from the samelocality, 16 fms. (No. ir37), are of larger size, uniformly tomentose,and the maxillipede (in one specimen examined) is less distinctlytruncated at its distal end ; they cannot, however, be regarded asbelonging to a distinct species.93. Mycteris longicarpus, Latr.Port Molle ; four specimens (two males and two females) wereobtained on the beach (No. 95).Specimens are in the British- Museum collection from Port Essington{J. Gould); Nicoi Bay, N.W. Australia {M. dii Boulay); Sydney;Port Jackson {Antarctic Krpedition) ; Swan Eiver (Dring) ; Tasmania(li. Gunn) ; and others without special locality. Also from NewGuinea (i^ey. W. Y. Turner); Billiton Island (il/cn-^ia's of Ttveedclale);Timor Laut (H. 0. Forbes) ; Philippines, Negros {Cuming) ; andChina seas {Swinhoe).It is recorded by M. A. Milne-Edwards from New Caledonia.I think it is very doubtful whether Mycteris hrtvidacti/lus, Stimpson*, from the Loo-choo Islands, can be regarded as distinct fromthis species.Of the closely allied Mycteris platycheles, M.-Edwards, there arespecimens in the British-Museum collection from Broken Bay{J. Macgillivray, H.M.S. ' Eattlesnake '), Tasmania {Dring, Lieut. A.Smith), and others without special indication of locality. Withthis latter species, Mycteris suhverrucatus of "White t and Kinahan Xis identical.94. Halicarcinus ovatus, Stimpson.Port Jackson, 0-7 fms. (No. 104). Four specimens, two malesand two females.In the Catalogue ' of New-Zealand Crustacea,' p. 49 (] 876), Iunited this form with Hcdicarcinus planatus (Eabr.) ; but after acloser examination of a larger series of Australian specimens, I wasinclined to think that it miglit after all be distinctly characterized byrelatively larger and more closely approximated frontal lobes whichare less hairy above. Accordingly the citation of this species wasnot included among the synonymical references to //. planatus inmy notice of that species in the Eeport on the Crustacea of KerguelenIsland §.* Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. p. 99 (1858).t List Crust. Brit. Mus. p. 34 (1847).X Journ. Eoj. Dublin Soc. i. p. 123 (1858).§ Phil. Trans, clxviii. p. 201 (1879).