﻿256 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  111. 
  Matuta 
  victrix 
  (i^rt6r.). 
  

  

  ■ 
  Two 
  males 
  are 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  from 
  the 
  Percy 
  Islands, 
  Queens- 
  

   land, 
  0-5 
  fms. 
  (No. 
  91). 
  

  

  Of 
  this 
  common 
  species 
  specimens 
  are 
  in 
  the 
  British-Museum 
  

   collection 
  from 
  Torres 
  Straits 
  (J. 
  B. 
  Jukes), 
  and 
  Shark 
  Bay 
  (F. 
  

   M. 
  Maj/ner, 
  H.M.S. 
  ' 
  Herald 
  '). 
  Also 
  from 
  the 
  lied 
  Sea, 
  Zanzibar 
  

   (Dr. 
  Kirk) 
  ; 
  Pondicherry, 
  Indian 
  Ocean 
  (Gen. 
  Hardiulcke) 
  ; 
  Madras 
  

   (India 
  Mus. 
  coll.); 
  Ceylon 
  (E. 
  W. 
  H. 
  Holdsiuorth) 
  ; 
  Penang 
  (India. 
  

   Mus. 
  coll.) 
  ; 
  Celebes, 
  Macassar, 
  Bali, 
  and 
  Batjan 
  (coll. 
  Dr. 
  Bleeker) 
  ; 
  

   Borneo 
  (Admiralti/). 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  very 
  distinct 
  variety 
  crehrepanctata, 
  Miers, 
  there 
  are 
  

   specimens 
  from 
  Japan 
  (Leyden 
  coll.), 
  Fiji 
  Islands, 
  Vanua 
  Levu 
  (F. 
  

   M. 
  Rayner), 
  and 
  MallicoUo, 
  New 
  Hebrides 
  (W. 
  WyJceham 
  Perry). 
  

  

  112. 
  Matuta 
  inermis. 
  (Plate 
  XXVI. 
  fig. 
  C.) 
  

  

  I 
  must, 
  at 
  least 
  provisionally, 
  thus 
  designate 
  a 
  female 
  from 
  

   Albany 
  Island, 
  3-4 
  fms., 
  two 
  small 
  males 
  from 
  Thursday 
  

   Island, 
  3-4 
  fms. 
  (No. 
  177), 
  three 
  from 
  Prince 
  of 
  Wales 
  Channel, 
  

   7 
  fms. 
  (No. 
  169), 
  and 
  four 
  collected 
  in 
  Torres 
  Straits 
  at 
  10 
  fms. 
  

   (No. 
  158), 
  also 
  four 
  specimens 
  (of 
  which 
  three 
  are 
  very 
  small, 
  

   and 
  the 
  fourth, 
  a 
  male, 
  but 
  little 
  larger) 
  from 
  the 
  ' 
  Herald 
  ' 
  col- 
  

   lection 
  (F. 
  M. 
  Rayner), 
  without 
  definite 
  locality, 
  in 
  the 
  British- 
  

   Museum 
  collection. 
  In 
  all 
  of 
  these 
  specimens 
  the 
  carapace 
  is 
  rather 
  

   longer 
  than 
  broad, 
  proportionately 
  longer 
  and 
  narrower 
  than 
  in 
  other 
  

   species 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  ; 
  the 
  tubercles 
  of 
  the 
  carapace 
  are 
  arranged 
  nearly 
  

   as 
  in 
  AI. 
  hanlsii, 
  which 
  this 
  species 
  further 
  resembles 
  in 
  having 
  the 
  

   anterior 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  carapace 
  coarsely 
  and 
  distinctly 
  granulated. 
  The 
  

   long 
  lateral 
  marginal 
  spines, 
  however, 
  which 
  exist 
  in 
  every 
  other 
  

   species 
  of 
  Matuta 
  are 
  in 
  M. 
  inermis 
  obsolete 
  and 
  represented 
  merely 
  

   by 
  a 
  small 
  tubercle. 
  The 
  interrupted 
  ridge 
  on 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  

   outer 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  palm 
  is 
  parallel 
  with 
  the 
  inferior 
  margin, 
  and 
  

   the 
  outer 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  mobile 
  finger 
  presents 
  scarcely 
  any 
  trace 
  of 
  

   a 
  longitudinal 
  ridge 
  (fig. 
  c). 
  Hence 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  referred 
  to 
  

   my 
  second 
  section 
  (B) 
  of 
  the 
  genus. 
  The 
  chelipedes 
  difi'er, 
  however, 
  

   from 
  those 
  of 
  M. 
  banJcsii 
  and 
  other 
  species 
  in 
  having 
  the 
  carpus 
  

   distinctly 
  granulated, 
  and 
  in 
  having 
  no 
  spine, 
  but 
  only 
  a 
  tubercle, 
  

   at 
  the 
  proximal 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  ridge 
  on 
  the 
  exterior 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  palm, 
  

   &c. 
  (see 
  the 
  figure). 
  Length 
  of 
  the 
  specimen 
  from 
  Albany 
  Island 
  

   about 
  10 
  lines 
  (21 
  millim.), 
  breadth 
  about 
  9| 
  (20 
  millim.). 
  The 
  male 
  

   above 
  referred 
  to 
  is 
  somewhat 
  smaller. 
  In 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  speci- 
  

   mens 
  is 
  any 
  trace 
  of 
  coloration 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  ; 
  and 
  in 
  these 
  examples 
  the 
  

   markings 
  are 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  largish 
  patches 
  or 
  blotches, 
  sometimes 
  

   defined 
  by 
  darker 
  marginal 
  lines, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  spirit-specimens 
  

   there 
  are 
  longitudinal 
  waved 
  lines 
  on 
  the 
  posterior 
  regions. 
  

  

  No 
  reference 
  was 
  made 
  to 
  this 
  species 
  in 
  my 
  " 
  Monograph 
  of 
  the 
  

   genus 
  Matuta," 
  * 
  because 
  the 
  few 
  specimens 
  then 
  before 
  me 
  were 
  

  

  * 
  Tvans. 
  Linn. 
  Soc. 
  ser. 
  2, 
  Zool. 
  i. 
  p. 
  243 
  (1877). 
  

  

  