﻿314 
  

  

  COLLECTIONS 
  FEOM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  segment 
  are 
  slightly 
  acute, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  third 
  segment 
  nearly 
  a 
  right 
  

   angle 
  ; 
  the 
  terminal 
  segment 
  or 
  telson 
  is 
  subtriangulate, 
  entire, 
  

   longer 
  than 
  broad, 
  with 
  the 
  apex 
  subacute. 
  Tho 
  eyes 
  are 
  black, 
  

   somewhat 
  ovate 
  in 
  shape. 
  The 
  antennules 
  scarcely 
  equal 
  in 
  length 
  

   the 
  head 
  and 
  first 
  two 
  segments 
  of 
  the 
  pereion 
  ; 
  they 
  have 
  three 
  

   joints 
  of 
  the 
  peduncle 
  exposed, 
  the 
  first 
  and 
  second 
  subequal 
  in 
  

   length, 
  but 
  the 
  first 
  somewhat 
  thicker 
  ; 
  the 
  third 
  joint 
  sleuderer 
  

   than 
  the 
  second 
  and 
  about 
  half 
  its 
  length 
  ; 
  fiagellum 
  13- 
  or 
  14- 
  

   jointed. 
  The 
  antenna? 
  have 
  tho 
  first 
  joint 
  (which 
  is 
  only 
  partially 
  

   visible 
  in 
  a 
  lateral 
  view) 
  short, 
  subspherical, 
  the 
  second 
  very 
  short 
  

   and 
  not 
  more 
  dilated 
  than 
  the 
  third 
  and 
  fourth, 
  which 
  are 
  elon- 
  

   gated 
  ; 
  the 
  fourth 
  a 
  little 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  second 
  ; 
  fiagellum 
  about 
  

   8-jointed. 
  The 
  first 
  pair 
  of 
  legs 
  (gnathopoda) 
  have 
  their 
  basus- 
  

   joints 
  moderately 
  dilated, 
  with 
  the 
  posterior 
  margins 
  thin-edged 
  

   and 
  hairy 
  ; 
  ischium 
  and 
  merus 
  very 
  short 
  ; 
  carpus 
  considerably 
  di- 
  

   lated, 
  and 
  produced 
  at 
  its 
  posterior 
  and 
  distal 
  angle 
  into 
  a 
  spine, 
  

   which 
  extends 
  along 
  the 
  posterior 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  propus 
  and 
  reaches 
  

   to 
  its 
  distal 
  extremity. 
  The 
  jDropus 
  or 
  penultimate 
  joint 
  is 
  ovate, 
  

   the 
  dactyl 
  minute 
  and 
  articulated 
  with 
  it 
  at 
  its 
  distal 
  extremity. 
  

   In 
  the 
  second 
  legs 
  the 
  carpus 
  is 
  very 
  short, 
  and 
  produced 
  along 
  

   the 
  posterior 
  margin 
  of 
  tho 
  propus 
  for 
  less 
  than 
  half 
  its 
  length 
  : 
  

   the 
  propus 
  is 
  subovate 
  and 
  large 
  ; 
  its 
  posterior 
  margin 
  is 
  armed 
  

   in 
  its 
  distal 
  half 
  with 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  small 
  granuliform 
  teeth, 
  against 
  

   which 
  the 
  well-developed 
  dactyl 
  impinges. 
  The 
  third 
  and 
  fourth 
  

   legs 
  are 
  small 
  and 
  present 
  nothing 
  remarkable 
  ; 
  the 
  fifth 
  to 
  sevent.h 
  

   have 
  the 
  coxae 
  small, 
  the 
  basus-joint 
  moderately 
  enlarged 
  and 
  

   rounded 
  posteriorly 
  ; 
  tho 
  following 
  joints 
  slender 
  and 
  nearly 
  nalced 
  ; 
  

   the 
  fourth 
  and 
  fifth 
  slightly 
  produced 
  at 
  the 
  posterior 
  and 
  distal 
  

   angles. 
  The 
  three 
  posterior 
  pairs 
  of 
  tail-appendages 
  are 
  biramose, 
  

   the 
  rami 
  lanceolate 
  and 
  acute 
  ; 
  in 
  the 
  posterior 
  pair 
  the 
  outer 
  is 
  a 
  

   little 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  inner 
  ramus. 
  Colour 
  (in 
  spirit) 
  whitish. 
  

   Length 
  about 
  7^ 
  lines 
  (16 
  millim.). 
  

  

  A 
  single 
  specimen 
  was 
  obtained 
  at 
  Thursday 
  Island, 
  4-5 
  fms. 
  

   (No. 
  165). 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  distinguished 
  from 
  L. 
  sjoinicarpa, 
  var. 
  commeoisalis, 
  

   Haswell, 
  and 
  the 
  closely 
  allied 
  species 
  or 
  varieties 
  L. 
  diemenensis 
  

   and 
  L. 
  gracilis, 
  Haswell, 
  by 
  the 
  broader, 
  more 
  ovate 
  propus 
  or 
  palm 
  

   and 
  shorter 
  dactyl 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  legs, 
  and 
  the 
  more 
  regularly 
  and 
  

   evenly 
  toothed 
  palm 
  of 
  the 
  legs 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  pair. 
  The 
  terminal 
  

   segment 
  is 
  shorter, 
  less 
  acute, 
  and 
  broader-triangulate 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  

   specimen 
  I 
  refer 
  to 
  L. 
  commensalis. 
  

  

  L. 
  nova'-JioUcoidice, 
  Haswell, 
  from 
  Port 
  Jackson, 
  is 
  at 
  once 
  dis- 
  

   tinguished 
  by 
  the 
  broad 
  truncated 
  palm 
  and 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  a 
  dactyl 
  

   to 
  the 
  anterior 
  legs, 
  by 
  the 
  shorter 
  carpal 
  process 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  legs, 
  

   and 
  by 
  other 
  characters. 
  Our 
  species 
  may 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  in 
  some 
  

   sense 
  intermediate 
  between 
  the 
  first 
  three 
  and 
  the 
  last-mentioned 
  

   species. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  mutilated 
  specimens 
  both 
  of 
  L. 
  novce-Jiollandice 
  and 
  

   L. 
  hrevidigitata 
  in 
  the 
  Museum 
  collection 
  from 
  Vaucluse 
  Point, 
  

   Port 
  Jackson 
  {J. 
  Brazier). 
  

  

  