M ACRURA. S< ' H M ITT. 339 



Distribution. This species proves to be rather 

 widely distributed. Heretofore it has been recorded from : 

 Japan Osima and Yokohama (Pesta) ; Hongkong 

 (Alcock and Pesta) ; Dutch East Indies (Alcock) ; 

 Australia Cape Jaubert, West Australia (Balss), 

 Sydney?, New South Wales (Pesta), and Palm Island, 

 Queensland (Has well) ; New Guinea Katow (Haswell) ; 

 Orissa coast, Andamans, Ganjam coast, Vizapatan coast, 

 Madras coast, Palk Strait, Gulf of Martaban (Alcock) ; 

 Red Sea, Suez, Shubuk and Kunfimda (Pesta, Tattersall, 

 Balss). 



Remarks. At last it is possible to raise Haswell's 

 Pen (ens novce-guinece from obscurity among "species the 

 systematic position of which is doubtful" (de Man), and 

 to restore it to the status of a good species. However, in 

 so doing it is perhaps unfortunate that so well known a 

 species as Pena?opsis stridulans becomes relegated to the 

 position of a synonym. Likewise the Penfeus palmensis 

 of Haswell becomes a synonym of Pcnwopsis novce- 

 guinecB. 



I have been able to examine one male and three 

 female Peneids from Gloucester Passage, Queensland 

 (Reg. No. P.412, Austr. Mus.), which Mr. McCulloch 

 identified with novw-guinew with this comment: "The 

 male has been closely compared with the holotype of 

 P. novce-guinece, which is of about the same size. The 

 females exhibit some variation in the length of the 

 rostrum and include characters of both novce-guuiew and 

 palmensis ; the spines between the bases of the second 

 chelipeds are always well developed in the females, but 

 may be rudimentary in the males." Mr. McCulloch adds, 

 "The unique holotype, a male from Katow, New Guinea, 

 measures 17 mm. from the tip of the rostrum to end of 

 carapace. It is in a bad state of preservation and its 

 characters are difficult to observe even with a modern 

 binocular microscope. It differs from Haswell's descrip- 

 tion in having the gastro-hepatic sulcus just as in 

 palmensis; hepatic spines are present though imperfect. 

 The palp of the external maxillipeds is similar to that 

 of palmensis ; the second joints of the second chelipeds 

 bear spines similar to those of the first." 



"A most careful comparison of the holotypes of 

 novw-guinea* and palmensis fails to reveal any differences 

 betw r een them other than the length and armature of the 



