109 



NOTE XXVI. 



REMARKS ON THE SPECIES OF MATÜTA PARR. 

 IN THE COLLECTION OF THE LEYDEN MUSEUM. 



BY 



Dr. J. G. DE MAN. 



The carcinological collection of our Museum contains no 

 less than 270 specimens of the genus Matuta Fabr., pre- 

 served in spirits , collected in the seas of the Indo- 

 Pacific Region , from the shores of the Red Sea to those 

 of the eastern islands of the Malayan Archipelago. They 

 belong to six different species , among which the very com- 

 mon Matuta victrix Fabr. is represented by no less than 

 nearly 200 specimens , the very rare Matuta granulosa Miers 

 on the contrary only by one single individual. Mr. Miers 

 in his excellent Monograph of this genus distinguished 

 nine species and afterwards described a tenth , the 

 Matuta circulifera Miers. Of these forms the Matuta lae- 

 vidactyla Miers is not represented in our collection, while 

 the Matuta lineifera Miers, Matuta circulifera Miers and 

 Matuta ohtusifrons Miers must be united, the former 

 two with the Matuta lunaris Herbst {ruhrolineata Miers) , 

 the third with the Matuta picta Hess (Miers) , as remark- 

 able varieties of these species. 



As characters of first importance in the definition of the 

 species must be considered : the course of the ridge on the 

 outer surface of the hands of the male ; the presence and 



Notes froin the Leyden ]VIuseu.m, Vol. III. 



