﻿CRTJSTAC'EA. 
  

  

  315 
  

  

  4. 
  Melita 
  australis, 
  Hasvelh 
  

  

  A 
  male 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  from 
  Port 
  Jackson, 
  0-5 
  fms., 
  a 
  

   locality 
  where, 
  according 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Haswell, 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  common. 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  specimen 
  the 
  three 
  anterior 
  postabdominal 
  segments 
  have 
  

   their 
  posterior 
  dorsal 
  margin 
  armed 
  with 
  six 
  spines 
  ; 
  the 
  fourth 
  with 
  

   two 
  spines, 
  outside 
  of 
  which 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  spinule 
  ; 
  the 
  

   fifth 
  is 
  armed 
  as 
  the 
  fourth, 
  but 
  the 
  median 
  spines 
  are 
  smaller 
  ; 
  the 
  

   telson 
  is 
  divided 
  nearly 
  to 
  its 
  base, 
  with 
  the 
  lobes 
  acute. 
  

  

  The 
  species 
  is 
  very 
  nearly 
  allied 
  to 
  the 
  Mdita 
  setipes, 
  Dana, 
  from 
  

   Singapore 
  ; 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  specimens 
  for 
  comparison, 
  I 
  do 
  

   not 
  venture 
  to 
  unite 
  the 
  two 
  forms. 
  M. 
  setipes 
  has, 
  according 
  to 
  

   Dana, 
  but 
  two 
  teeth 
  or 
  lobes 
  on 
  the 
  distal 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  hand 
  

   of 
  the 
  second 
  legs 
  ; 
  M. 
  australis 
  has 
  three, 
  but 
  tlie 
  one 
  nearest 
  the 
  

   dactylus 
  is 
  very 
  small 
  in 
  the 
  specimen 
  I 
  have 
  examined. 
  

  

  5. 
  Mcera 
  ramsayi, 
  Haswell. 
  

  

  A 
  male 
  specimen 
  is 
  referred 
  to 
  this 
  species 
  from 
  Port 
  Jackson, 
  

   0-5 
  fms., 
  whence 
  also 
  Mr. 
  Haswell 
  records 
  it 
  ; 
  and 
  also 
  one 
  from 
  

   Prince 
  of 
  Wales 
  Channel, 
  7 
  fms. 
  (No. 
  109). 
  The 
  minute 
  teeth 
  or 
  

   spines 
  on 
  the 
  posterior 
  margins 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  and 
  second 
  segments 
  of 
  

   the 
  postabdomen 
  do 
  not 
  extend 
  to 
  the 
  postero-lateral 
  lobes 
  ; 
  in 
  the 
  

   third 
  segment 
  the 
  posterior 
  margins 
  are 
  armed 
  with 
  spinules 
  to 
  or 
  

   even 
  beyond 
  the 
  postero-lateral 
  angles. 
  There 
  are 
  several 
  small 
  

   spinules 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  median 
  dorsal 
  spine 
  on 
  the 
  posterior 
  

   margin 
  of 
  the 
  fourth 
  and 
  fifth 
  segments. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  notch 
  

   in 
  the 
  anterior 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  palm 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  leg 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  

   pair, 
  besides 
  the 
  small 
  defining 
  tooth 
  at 
  the 
  postero-distal 
  angle. 
  

   These 
  points, 
  which 
  are 
  not 
  mentioned 
  in 
  Mr. 
  Haswell's 
  description, 
  

   render 
  it 
  possible 
  that 
  this 
  specimen 
  should 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  belong- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  a 
  distinct 
  variety 
  or 
  species. 
  

  

  6, 
  Mcera 
  ruhromaculata 
  (Stimpson). 
  

  

  To 
  this 
  species 
  are 
  referred 
  two 
  imperfect 
  specimens 
  obtained 
  at 
  

   Port 
  Molle, 
  5-12 
  fms. 
  (No. 
  118), 
  and 
  one 
  from 
  Dundas 
  Straits, 
  

   17 
  fms. 
  Mr. 
  Haswell 
  also 
  records 
  it 
  from 
  Ports 
  Denison, 
  Stephens, 
  

   and 
  Jackson. 
  As 
  in 
  these 
  specimens 
  the 
  superior 
  antennae 
  are 
  im- 
  

   perfect 
  and 
  the 
  posterior 
  uropoda 
  are 
  wanting, 
  their 
  identification 
  

   with 
  Stimpson's 
  species 
  must 
  remain 
  somewhat 
  uncertain. 
  Accord- 
  

   ingly 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  useful 
  to 
  append 
  a 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  specimens, 
  

   with 
  special 
  reference 
  to 
  some 
  points 
  which 
  are 
  not 
  mentioned 
  in 
  

   the 
  descriptions 
  already 
  given 
  of 
  this 
  species. 
  

  

  The 
  body 
  is 
  slender 
  ; 
  the 
  head 
  not 
  produced 
  at 
  its 
  antero-lateral 
  

   angles 
  ; 
  the 
  coxte 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  segment 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  have 
  their 
  antero- 
  

   lateral 
  angles 
  acute 
  and 
  produced 
  somewhat 
  beneath 
  the 
  head. 
  The 
  

   posterior 
  margins 
  of 
  the 
  five 
  anterior 
  postabdominal 
  segments 
  are 
  

   armed 
  with 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  minute 
  spinules, 
  which 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  and 
  second 
  

  

  