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

280 COLLECTIOKS FROM MELANESIA.median spines, as in Stimpson's description), but the median spine isitself arcuated and very distinctly denticulated on the lateral marginsas well as on the dorsal surface, and there are two spines onthe front of tlie branchial regions. Nevertheless a sufficient series ofspecimens might perhaps hereafter show the Australian to be a merevariety of the Japanese form.In the absence of the supraocular spines these species resemblethe American genus (or subgenus) Galathodes, A. M.-Edwards *, butthe corneae of the eyes are considerably dilated, and the dactyli ofthe ambulatory legs (in M. spinulifera) are not strongly spinulose.Of all the numerous American species of Munida described by A.M.-Edwards {t. c. pp. 47-52) the nearest allies to M, spinulifera areapparently M. iris and M. irasa, from which M. spinulifera is distinguishedby having the first two segmeats of the postabdomenarmed with several spimxles &c.24. Mastigochirus quadrilobatus, Miers.Seven specimens were collected in Prince of Wales Channel,5-7 fms. (No. 150), which scarcely difter from the type from thePhilippines in the British-Museum collection except in having themedian frontal lobes generally somewhat more acute. A carefulcomparison of these specimens with the (previously) unique driedtype example shows that the number of joints in the terminal flagelliformportion of the anterior limbs (which are imperfectly seenon account of the hairs with which they are thickly clothed) wasunderstated in the original description ; instead of being ten ortwelve, they are usually twice as numerous.MACRUEA.1. Gebia carinicauda, Stimpson.Two females are in the collection from the beach at ThursdayIsland (No. 167). Another in the British Museum was collectedby Mr. MacFarlane on the shores of one of the islands in TorresStraits. Stimpson's ty])es were from Hong Kong. These specimensagree very well with Stimpson's description, except that the uppermargins of the dactyli of the anterior legs can scarcely be describedas carinatcd. The spinules of the front are almost completelyconcealed by the pubescence, but are distinctly visible in alateral view.In a smaller specimen, also a female and from thd same locality,the spinules mentioned by Stimpson as existing above the genitalapertures in the third pair of legs (and which are very distinct inthe larger examples in the ' Alert ' collection) are not developed.* Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. viii. p. 53 (1880).