﻿226 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  Richters^ 
  Decapoda 
  in 
  Mobius' 
  Beitr. 
  zur 
  Meeresfauna 
  der 
  Insel 
  

   Mauritius 
  und 
  der 
  Seychellen, 
  p. 
  148 
  (1880). 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  collection 
  is 
  a 
  male 
  from 
  Thursday 
  Island, 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  

   4-6 
  fms. 
  (No. 
  130) 
  ; 
  a 
  female 
  from 
  Port 
  Denison, 
  4fms. 
  (^o. 
  Ill) 
  ; 
  

   another 
  from 
  Percy 
  Islands, 
  Queensland, 
  obtained 
  at 
  a 
  depth 
  not 
  

   exceeding 
  5 
  fms, 
  (Ko, 
  91) 
  ; 
  and 
  three 
  small 
  specimens 
  from 
  Port 
  

   Molle, 
  14 
  fms. 
  (No. 
  93). 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  specimens 
  in 
  the 
  British-Museum 
  collection, 
  that 
  appear 
  

   to 
  be 
  referable 
  to 
  this 
  species, 
  from 
  Australia 
  (,/. 
  S. 
  Boiverhanlc, 
  Esq.) 
  

   and 
  Sir 
  C. 
  Hardy's 
  Island, 
  dredged 
  in 
  11 
  fms., 
  on 
  a 
  bottom 
  of 
  coarse 
  

   sand 
  (J. 
  B. 
  Juices) 
  ; 
  also 
  from 
  the 
  Philippine 
  Islands, 
  Corregidor 
  

   {Cuming), 
  Fiji 
  Islands, 
  Totoya 
  (H.M.S. 
  ' 
  Herald'), 
  and 
  New 
  Hebrides 
  

   {J. 
  MacgilUvray). 
  A 
  specimen 
  from 
  Shark 
  Bay, 
  W. 
  Australia 
  (F. 
  M. 
  

   Eayner, 
  H.M.S. 
  ' 
  Herald 
  ') 
  has 
  a 
  more 
  coarsely 
  pubescent 
  carapace, 
  

   and 
  may 
  be 
  distinct. 
  

  

  Dana 
  founded 
  A. 
  tomentosus 
  upon 
  a 
  female 
  from 
  Tahiti 
  or 
  Upolu, 
  

   in 
  which 
  the 
  regions 
  of 
  the 
  carapace 
  were 
  apparently 
  somewhat 
  less 
  

   distinctly 
  defined 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  specimens 
  I 
  have 
  seen, 
  and 
  the 
  granu- 
  

   lations 
  of 
  the 
  chelipedes 
  more 
  irregularlj' 
  disposed. 
  

  

  A 
  careful 
  comparison 
  of 
  the 
  descriptions 
  above 
  cited 
  with 
  the 
  

   series 
  in 
  the 
  Museum 
  collection 
  shows 
  that 
  certain 
  of 
  the 
  characters 
  

   which 
  have 
  been 
  hitherto 
  regarded 
  as 
  of 
  specific 
  value 
  are 
  by 
  no 
  

   means 
  as 
  constant 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  hitherto 
  supposed. 
  

  

  In 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  Australian 
  specimens 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  the 
  antero- 
  

   lateral 
  margins 
  are 
  4-lobed, 
  without 
  any 
  traces 
  of 
  sj^iniform 
  teeth. 
  

   Indications 
  of 
  these, 
  however, 
  exist 
  in 
  one 
  specimen 
  from 
  Sir 
  C. 
  

   Hardy's 
  Island, 
  one 
  out 
  of 
  two 
  from 
  the 
  Philippines, 
  and 
  one 
  from 
  

   the 
  New 
  Hebrides 
  in 
  the 
  Museum 
  collection. 
  In 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  speci- 
  

   mens 
  the 
  carapace 
  is 
  clothed 
  with 
  a 
  close 
  velvety 
  pubescence, 
  and 
  

   the 
  upper 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  chelipedes 
  finely 
  and 
  closely 
  granulated; 
  

   but 
  in 
  the 
  specimen 
  from 
  New 
  Hebrides 
  and 
  one 
  from 
  the 
  Philip- 
  

   pines 
  the 
  pubescence 
  is 
  much 
  more 
  scanty 
  and 
  the 
  granulations 
  of 
  

   the 
  hands 
  more 
  acute, 
  especially 
  toward 
  the 
  upper 
  margins. 
  

  

  The 
  finger-tips 
  of 
  the 
  sjiecies 
  of 
  this 
  genus 
  are 
  generally 
  scarcely 
  

   to 
  be 
  described 
  as 
  excavated, 
  but 
  rather 
  as 
  obtuse, 
  and 
  the 
  transi- 
  

   tion 
  is 
  effected 
  to 
  Piluinnus 
  by 
  almost 
  insensible 
  gradations 
  through 
  

   such 
  species 
  as 
  P. 
  dehaani, 
  Miers*, 
  which, 
  indeed, 
  may 
  be 
  merely 
  

   the 
  young 
  of 
  A. 
  setlfcr, 
  but 
  differs 
  not 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  acute 
  antero- 
  

   lateral 
  marginal 
  teeth 
  and 
  finger-tips, 
  but 
  also 
  in 
  the 
  relatively 
  

   shorter 
  antero-lateral 
  margins 
  and 
  entire 
  obliteration 
  of 
  the 
  regions 
  

   of 
  the 
  carapace. 
  A 
  specimen 
  nearly 
  resembling 
  P. 
  dehaani 
  is 
  in 
  

   Dr. 
  Coppingcr's 
  collection, 
  frorn 
  Port 
  Denison 
  (No. 
  Ill) 
  ; 
  in 
  it, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  the 
  tubercles 
  of 
  the 
  chelipedes 
  are 
  less 
  conical 
  and 
  acute. 
  In 
  

   the 
  small 
  specimens 
  I 
  refer 
  to 
  A. 
  setifer, 
  from 
  Port 
  Molle, 
  the 
  regions 
  

   of 
  the 
  carapace 
  are 
  fully 
  as 
  well 
  defined 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  adult. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  F. 
  Richters 
  {t. 
  c. 
  p. 
  148) 
  records 
  this 
  species 
  from 
  the 
  Mauri- 
  

   tius 
  : 
  hence 
  its 
  range 
  evidently 
  extends 
  throughout 
  the 
  Oriental 
  

   region. 
  

  

  ♦ 
  Proo. 
  Zool. 
  Soc. 
  p. 
  32 
  (1879). 
  

  

  