294 Records of the Indian Miiseum. [Vol. XIII, 



In the collection recently made by Dr. Annandale in the Far 

 East there are series of P. compressa from several localities in 

 Japan. On examination, the specimens were found to fall into 

 two well-marked races, one inhabiting the north-eastern portions 

 of the main island, while the other is apparently restricted to the 

 south-western parts, the upper limit of its distribution being 

 Lake Biwa and its vicinity. This rather unexpected discovery led 

 me to make an examination of all the Paratya preserved in the In- 

 dian Museum, and I find as a result that there has been a great 

 deal of misapprehension regarding the taxonomy and distribution 

 of the species. The Indian Museum is fortunately well supplied 

 with material: including Dr. Annandale's collection, specimens 

 are available from seven localities in Japan, from Sydney in New 

 South Wales, from Lake Torrens in S. Australia (as well as a 

 sample from '' S. Australian waters"), from both east and west 

 sides of Norfolk I., from two localities in New Zealand and from 

 two in Upper Assam. 



Examination of this extensive material leads me to conclude 

 (i) that the true Paratya compressa is restricted to Japan, possibly 

 extending into Korea; in the main island of the former country 

 it is represented by two well-marked races; (ii) that the Aus- 

 tralian form is to be distingusihed specifically from the Japanese 

 and is represented in Norfolk I. by a race which differs from it in 

 characters of at least subspecific value ; and (iii) that the form 

 recorded from New Zealand and Upper Assam is distinct from any 

 of the others. 



The five forms examined may be distinguished by the follow- 

 ing characteristics : — 



Key to the species and subspecies of Paratya. 



I. Propodus of 3rd and 5th peraeopods, in both sexes, 



less than three times as long as dactylus,' dactylus of 

 3rd pair with 19 to 30 spines,'^ the number ver}' rarely 

 falling to 18 [propodus of 3rd and 4th pairs ex- 

 panded distally in male, the dilated portion bearing 

 numerous spines]. 



A. Rostrum with 16 to 25 dorsal teeth ; hindmost 



tooth situated on carapace or immediatel}' 



above orbital notch ... ... ...P. co7)ipressa 



(de Haan). 



B. Rostrum with 7 to t8 dorsal teeth; proximal 



part of rostrum unarmed, no tooth on carapace 



or above orbital notch ... ... P. compressa, 



subsp. improvisa, 

 nov. 



II, Propodus of 3rd and 5th peraeopods, in females, ^ 



more than three times as long as dactylus ; dactylus 

 of 3rd pair usually with 6 to 13 spines, the number 

 occasionally rising, in males only, to 18. 



' The extreme length of the dactylus, terminal spine included. 

 * Including the terminal spine. 



2 The character is also valid for males of P. australiensis and its subspecies ; 

 in males of P. curvirostris the proportion occasionally falls as low as 2*5. 



