REPORT ON THE ANOMURA. 125 



of the considerable attention paid to surface netting, and the fact that the Grimothea is 

 known to be a common form, no specimens appear to have been taken by the Challenger, 

 though two examjjles, presumably from New Zealand — labelled " Wellington Museum, "^ — 

 are preserved in the collection. An examination of the material at my disposal in no 

 way enables me to confirm Mr. Miers' theory, for a number of young specimens, 

 undoubtedly belonging to Munida suhrugosa, and taken on the bottom along with that 

 sf)ecies, have all the general characters of the adult, and are yet not more than one-third 

 the size of ordinary specimens of G i'imotJi,ea ; nor have I been able to discover in these 

 any great variation in the length of the external maxillipedes. It may, however, be 

 possible that some of the newly hatched young pass to the surface and exist for a longer 

 or shorter period in the Grimothea state ; an examination of fresh specimens of the 

 latter can alone decide the question. 



In Munida suhrugosa a certain amount of variation is noticeable as regards the 

 number and size of the spines on the carapace, chelipedes, and abdominal segments, also 

 as regards the length of the rostrum. In all the specimens which I have examined there 

 is considerable uniformity in regard to the external maxillipedes ; the ischium and merus 

 are subequal in length, and their outer surface is as a rule grooved longitudinally, the 

 lateral margins of the former joint terminate distally in spines, and the latter has usually 

 a single spine on the inner margin and one at the distal end of the outer margin ; the 

 carpus is without a prominent lobe. In Grimothea gregaria the whole body is soft and 

 adapted for a pelagic life, the abdomen is proportionately narrower, the eyes are of larger 

 size, and the spines everywhere less strongly developed. The external maxillipedes are 

 of great length (about two-thirds the length of the body), and the various joints are 

 smooth and flattened ; the merus is considerably longer than the ischium, and the carpus 

 and propodus are each provided with a prominent lobe on the inner margin, while the 

 dactylus is subovate in shape ; the hairs which clothe the four terminal joints are of 

 considerable length. It cannot, however, be denied that the external maxillipedes 

 furnish the only important difference between the two forms, and there can be little 

 doubt that these organs are specially adapted for the pelagic life of their owners. 



Munida suhrugosa (White), var. australiensis, nov. (PL XIII. fig. 3). 



Characters. — The median rostral spine appears to be longer than usual, a character 

 probably common to young specimens of the species. The spinules on the carapace are 

 more numerous than in the typical form, and arranged as follows : — A row of four spinules 

 stretches across the carapace, two being situated on the, anterior margin of the cardiac 

 area, and one on the anterior margin of each branchial region ; a single spinule is placed 

 on the inner aspect of the area formed by a splitting of the cervical groove, and a single 

 spinule is placed on each hepatic region immediately external to the anterior gastric spine 



