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

290 COLLECTIONS FEOM MELANESIA.Two females were obtained at Albanj- Island, 3-4 fms., whencealso it is recorded by Mr. Haswell, and a small male at WarriorReef (first collection) ; also an adult male from Prince of WalesChannel, 7-9 fms., and three from Thursday Island, 4-5 fms. (No. 165),from the second collection.Specimens are in the British-Museum collection from Ceylon(£'. W. H. HoldswortJi), and I have also seen examples from Singapore(in the collection of A. 0. Walker, Esq.).The remarkable development of the rostrum and orbital spinesand the form of the antennal scale serve to distinguish this species.According to Mr. Haswell (Cat. p. 180), Avhose description ofthis and several other of his new species was based on specimensobtained by H.M.S. ' Alert,' it is invariably found clinging to thearms of a species of Comatulid, to which its markings give it ageneral resemblance. The carapace is marked with loiigitudinalstripes of brownish purple, with a narrow median white line, whichis continued on the first two postabdominal segments ; at the sidesare three short white markings, the abdomen has broad brownishpurpleand narrow white lines, bases of antennas purple, longitudinalstripes of purple on the ambulatory legs ; large hand marked withlongitudinal lines of light brown, bordered by narrow darkerbands.10. Alpheus villosus, M.-Edw.An adult example is in the collection from Warrior Reef (firstcollection), and two specimens (one of small size) from ThursdayIsland, 3-4 fms. (No. 177), in the second collection.A female with ova from the Australian coast (without specialindication of locality) is in the Museum from the collection of Dr.J. S. Bowerbank.To the characters given by Milne-Edwards I may add that thereexists a small spinule on the outer margin of the first exposed jointof the antennulary peduncles. The larger chela is vertically verydeep at its base, but narrows towards the fingers ; the smaller oneis pubescent, but without sulci or spiuules ; the fingers quite aslong as the palm.11. Pontonia (Conchodytes) tridacnae, Peters.A large series of specimens was obtained at Warrior Reef, atfrom 10-16 fms. (No. 137), together with specimens of PinnotheresviUosuTus, which inhabited " pearl-shells ;"• whether the Pontoniatridacncv had the same habitat is stated to be uncertain. By far thegreater number of the specimens collected were females with ova.In the full-sized examples the second pair of legs are very muchlarger and more robust than in the specimen figured by Dana (theonly one he had seen), having the palm robust and elongated,rounded above and below, and the fingers loss than half the lengthof the palm, the mobile finger strongly carinated above, with a tooth