40 DE. W. T. CALMAN 0^' A COLLECTION OF 



the arrangement of the tuhercles on the carapace are apparent on comparing our 

 specimens with Milne-Edwards's account. He states that the gastric region carries a 

 median row of five tuhercles flanked hy two lateral pairs, but in the figure only four 

 median tubercles are distinctly seen, and this is the case also in our specimens. Milne- 

 Edwards further describes the cardiac region as " marquee de quatre petits tuberculcs 

 places de cliaque cote de la ligne mediane,'' but his figure shows two median and two 

 lateral tubercles. In our specimens there is only a bilobed median tubercle in the centre 

 of the cardiac area. Between the main tubercles, and more especially on the branchial 

 regions, the surface of the carapace is in our specimens rather uneven. The rostral spines 

 are stated by Milne-Edwards to be cylindrical : the figure shows them as rather broad 

 and apparently somewhat flattened and having the inner edge obtusely angled about the 

 middle of its length. In the Torres Straits specimens these spines are more slender and 

 cylindrical, tapering only very slightly to the bluntly rouaded tip. In the structure of 

 the orbital region, and in the presence of a large tubercle al)ove the orbit external to the 

 base of each rostral spine, our specimens agree closely with Milne-Edwards's species. In 

 spite of the differences above enumerated, the general resemblance between the two 

 species is so consideraljle that some doubt must still remain as to their distinctness. 



Mr. Miers has indicated a doubt as to whether the present species is correctly referred 

 to the genus Fseudomicippa. In the type species, P. nodosa, Heller (SB. Akad. Wien, 

 xliii. (1) p. 301, pi. i. fig. 3), the rostrum is very strongly defiexed and the anterior angle 

 of the orbit is produced into a long spine, while the basal antennal joint is shaped rather 

 diflferently, its distal tooth being directed obliquely forwards instead of outwards as in the 

 present form. 



As regards the systematic position of the genus, Ortmaun points out that it has been 

 wrongly placed among the Maiidje and has no affinity with Micippa. He would place it 

 among the Inachidce, either in the subfamily Iiiachincc or the Stenocinopina;. Miers, 

 followed by Ortmann, had suggested that the form briefly described by Haswell as the 

 tyj)e of a new genus under the name of Microhalimiis dejlexlfrous (Proc. Linn. Soc. 

 N. S. Wales, iv. p. 435, pi. xxv. fig. 2, 1879) might be identical with the present species. 

 Alcock, in his classification of the Oxyrhyncha (Journ. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, ixiv. (2) 

 pp. 164 &, 166), retains Ilicrohalimns and Pseudomicippa as distmct genera, j)lacmg the 

 former in the "Alliance Inachoida" of his sid)family Inachincc, while classing the latter 

 in the " Alliance Stenocionopoida " of the subfamily Mailnce. Alcock does not discuss 

 these genera further, nor does he indicate to which of them the present species should be 

 referred. It seems likely that P. varians should be generically separated from P. nodosa, 

 and that its most natural position is that which Alcock assigns to 3IicrohaUmits. 

 Haswell's figure shows, however, that 31. dcfiexifrons is at least specifically distinct. 



Micippa philyea (Herbst), 



MicipiJa masrari'iiica (Koi-sm.), Mieis, Aim. Mag. Nat. Hist. xv. p. 7 (1885). 

 M.phihjra (Hbst.), Alcock, Joiini. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, Ixiv. (2) p. 249 (1895). 



Three specimens agree very closely with Haswell's description and figures of his 



