﻿180 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FBOM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  more 
  widely 
  ranging 
  species, 
  I 
  have 
  given 
  (where 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  

   previously 
  done 
  so) 
  the 
  localities 
  whence 
  the 
  British 
  Museum 
  possess 
  

   specimens, 
  which 
  will 
  serve 
  to 
  indicate 
  generally 
  with 
  sufficient 
  

   accuracy 
  the 
  distribution 
  of 
  the 
  species, 
  or, 
  in 
  some 
  cases, 
  the 
  

   lacuna' 
  which 
  yet 
  remain 
  in 
  the 
  series 
  preserved 
  in 
  the 
  National 
  

   Collection. 
  

  

  With 
  few 
  exceptions, 
  the 
  species 
  were 
  dredged 
  in 
  comparatively 
  

   shallow 
  water, 
  on 
  which 
  account 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  more 
  remarkable 
  that 
  so 
  

   many 
  novelties 
  were 
  obtained. 
  Of 
  the 
  species 
  already 
  described, 
  a 
  

   largo 
  proportion 
  (more 
  than 
  one 
  third) 
  are 
  widely 
  distributed 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  Oriental 
  or 
  Indo-Pacific 
  regions, 
  from 
  the 
  Mascarene 
  

   Islands 
  (or 
  African 
  coast) 
  on 
  the 
  east, 
  to 
  the 
  Fiji, 
  Samoa, 
  or 
  Sandwich 
  

   islands 
  on 
  the 
  west, 
  while 
  many 
  others 
  are 
  at 
  present 
  known 
  only 
  

   from 
  the 
  Indo-Malayan 
  section 
  of 
  this 
  area, 
  ranging 
  pi-obably 
  from 
  

   the 
  Sea 
  of 
  Ecngal 
  to 
  the 
  coasts 
  of 
  China 
  and 
  Japan. 
  

  

  While 
  the 
  littoral 
  and 
  shallow-water 
  Crustacea 
  which 
  are 
  dis- 
  

   tributed 
  throughout 
  the 
  great 
  Indo-Pacifi.c 
  region 
  are 
  not, 
  as 
  a 
  

   general 
  ride, 
  found 
  beyond 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  tliis 
  vast 
  area 
  of 
  distribu- 
  

   tion, 
  yet 
  there 
  are 
  a 
  certain 
  number 
  which 
  have 
  a 
  far 
  wider 
  range 
  : 
  

   thus, 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  memoir, 
  Alpheus 
  edwardsii, 
  AJpheus 
  minus, 
  

   Pena'iis 
  velutinus, 
  Gonodacti/lits 
  chiragra, 
  and 
  Gaprella 
  a'quiUhra 
  

   are 
  instances 
  of 
  species 
  which 
  are 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  widely 
  distributed 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  region, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  future 
  

   research 
  will 
  largely 
  add 
  to 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  such 
  forms. 
  In 
  regard 
  

   to 
  the 
  Amphipoda 
  the 
  affinity 
  of 
  the 
  Australian 
  with 
  the 
  European 
  

   fauna 
  is 
  very 
  remarkable 
  ; 
  and 
  among 
  the 
  few 
  species 
  included 
  in 
  

   the 
  presentJieport 
  instances 
  (Lf?<coi/ioe 
  s/>micarp(7, 
  6V(2:>!'e?7rt 
  a'(2'('?7?7;}-a) 
  

   occur 
  where 
  I 
  have 
  identified 
  Australian 
  examples 
  with 
  well-known 
  

   European 
  tj'pes, 
  while 
  in 
  several 
  other 
  instances 
  the 
  distinctions 
  are 
  

   so 
  slight 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  scarcely 
  of 
  specific 
  importance 
  : 
  hence 
  I 
  must 
  

   qualify 
  the 
  opinion 
  I 
  formerly 
  expressed 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  improbability 
  of 
  

   the 
  species 
  of 
  such 
  widely 
  distant 
  regions 
  ever 
  being 
  actually 
  

   identical 
  *. 
  

  

  Appended 
  is 
  a 
  list 
  of 
  the 
  principal 
  localities 
  where 
  the 
  specimens 
  

   were 
  dredged, 
  with 
  Dr. 
  Coppinger's 
  notes 
  on 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  

   audi 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  sea-bottom 
  ; 
  the 
  numbers 
  are 
  those 
  attached 
  to 
  

   the 
  several 
  bottles 
  containing 
  tlie 
  dredgings, 
  and 
  are 
  referred 
  to 
  

   ttiroughout 
  the 
  Ileport. 
  

  

  List 
  of 
  the 
  Localities. 
  

  

  Port 
  Jackson. 
  0-5 
  fms., 
  February 
  and 
  March 
  1881 
  (No. 
  90) 
  ; 
  5-7 
  fms., 
  

  

  rock 
  and 
  mud, 
  April 
  1881 
  (No. 
  104). 
  

   Port 
  Curtis. 
  7-11 
  fms., 
  sand 
  and 
  shells, 
  April 
  1881 
  (Nos. 
  85, 
  87, 
  88, 
  

  

  92) 
  ; 
  beach, 
  April 
  1881 
  (No. 
  96). 
  

   Percy 
  Island. 
  0-5 
  fms., 
  sand 
  and 
  coral 
  (No. 
  91). 
  

   Port'Molle. 
  Beach, 
  sand 
  (No. 
  95); 
  beach 
  and 
  coral-reef 
  (No. 
  98); 
  

  

  beach 
  between 
  tide-marks 
  (No. 
  103) 
  ; 
  5-12 
  fms., 
  coral 
  (No. 
  118) 
  ; 
  

  

  14 
  fms., 
  rock 
  (No. 
  93): 
  all 
  in 
  May 
  1881. 
  

  

  ■* 
  Aim. 
  & 
  Mag. 
  Nat. 
  Uist. 
  ser. 
  5, 
  v. 
  p. 
  125 
  (1880), 
  and 
  P. 
  Z. 
  S. 
  p. 
  62 
  (1881). 
  

  

  