﻿214 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  The 
  Oriental 
  specimen 
  referred 
  by 
  White 
  (List 
  Crust. 
  Brit. 
  Mus. 
  

   p. 
  i3, 
  1847) 
  to 
  C. 
  venosus 
  certainly 
  does 
  not 
  belong 
  to 
  this 
  species. 
  

  

  45. 
  Leptodius 
  exaratus 
  (M.-Edw.). 
  

  

  Here 
  are 
  referred, 
  at 
  least 
  provisionally, 
  an 
  adult 
  male 
  from 
  Port 
  

   Curtis 
  (No. 
  95), 
  obtained 
  on 
  the 
  beach, 
  and 
  two 
  smaller 
  specimens 
  

   dredged 
  in 
  7-11 
  fms. 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  locality 
  (No. 
  85), 
  also 
  six 
  speci- 
  

   mens 
  obtained 
  on 
  the 
  beach, 
  between 
  tide-marks 
  at 
  Port 
  Molle 
  

   (No. 
  103). 
  

  

  The 
  Port-Curtis 
  examples 
  and 
  one 
  from 
  Port 
  Molle 
  (in 
  spirit) 
  

   are 
  of 
  a 
  yellowish-brown 
  or 
  greenish 
  hue 
  ; 
  the 
  five 
  remaining 
  

   examples 
  from 
  the 
  latter-mentioned 
  locality 
  are 
  purplish 
  red, 
  the 
  

   carapace 
  being 
  oliscurcly 
  punctulated 
  with 
  spots 
  of 
  a 
  similar 
  but 
  

   darker 
  hue. 
  Several 
  of 
  these 
  specimens, 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  teeth 
  of 
  

   the 
  antero-lateral 
  margins 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  lesser 
  distinctness 
  of 
  the 
  areo- 
  

   latiou 
  of 
  the 
  carapace, 
  resemble 
  L. 
  gracilis 
  (Dana), 
  as 
  do 
  also 
  specimens 
  

   in 
  the 
  British-Museum 
  collection 
  from 
  Australia, 
  the 
  Mauritius, 
  and 
  

   the 
  Piji 
  and 
  Sandwich 
  Islands 
  ; 
  hut 
  these 
  are 
  connected 
  by 
  such 
  

   gradual 
  and 
  insensible 
  gradations 
  with 
  the 
  more 
  convex 
  distirictly- 
  

   areolated 
  and 
  irregularly-toothed 
  specimens 
  referred 
  to 
  L. 
  exaratus, 
  

   that 
  I 
  must 
  regard 
  L. 
  gracUis 
  as 
  very 
  doubtfully 
  distinct. 
  

  

  Prof. 
  Alphonse 
  Milne-Edwards 
  and 
  others 
  have 
  referred 
  to 
  the 
  

   wide 
  geographical 
  distribution 
  of 
  this 
  common 
  Oriental 
  form*; 
  and 
  

   on 
  this 
  account, 
  and 
  also 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  uncertainty 
  I 
  at 
  present 
  feel 
  

   regarding 
  the 
  true 
  specific 
  limitations 
  of 
  L. 
  exaratus, 
  I 
  think 
  it 
  

   at 
  present 
  needless 
  to 
  refer 
  in 
  detail 
  to 
  the 
  numerous 
  examples 
  in 
  

   the 
  British-Museum 
  collection 
  which 
  belong 
  to 
  it 
  or 
  to 
  closely 
  

   allied 
  types. 
  I 
  may 
  note, 
  however, 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  several 
  

   varieties 
  (as 
  I 
  believe) 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  at 
  Shark 
  Bay, 
  W. 
  Australia 
  

   {H.M.S.' 
  Herald'). 
  

  

  46. 
  Leptodius 
  lividus. 
  

  

  Xantho 
  lividus, 
  De 
  liaan, 
  Faun. 
  Japon., 
  Crust, 
  p. 
  48, 
  pi. 
  xiii. 
  fig. 
  6 
  

   (1835). 
  

  

  Seven 
  small 
  specimens, 
  males 
  and 
  females, 
  are 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  ; 
  

   the 
  carapace 
  of 
  the 
  largest 
  male 
  measures 
  but 
  5 
  lines 
  (nearly 
  

   11 
  millim.) 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  8 
  lines 
  (17 
  millim.) 
  in 
  width 
  ; 
  these 
  

   specimens 
  (in 
  spirit) 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  pale 
  greenish 
  or 
  brownish 
  yellow, 
  and 
  

   agree 
  in 
  all 
  particulars 
  with 
  De 
  Haan's 
  diagnosis, 
  except 
  that 
  the 
  

   chelipedes 
  have 
  their 
  palmar 
  joints 
  (like 
  the 
  wiists) 
  rather 
  coarsely 
  

   granulated 
  or 
  even 
  rugose 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  outer 
  surfaces. 
  

  

  These 
  specimens 
  were 
  obtained 
  on 
  the 
  beach 
  at 
  Plinders 
  Island, 
  

   under 
  stones. 
  

  

  They 
  are 
  connected 
  by 
  a 
  nearly 
  complete 
  series 
  of 
  intermediate 
  

   forms 
  (such 
  as 
  L. 
  distingendus) 
  with 
  Leptodius 
  exaratus. 
  

  

  * 
  Nouv. 
  Arch. 
  Mus. 
  Hist. 
  Nat. 
  ix. 
  p. 
  223 
  (1873). 
  

  

  