193 COLLECTIONS FROM MELANESIA. 



fms. (Xos. 165-175). In the female the gastric region is less 

 convex than in the type specimens, which are from W. Australia, 

 Shark Bay. 



Microhalimus defiexifrons, Haswell (t. c. p. 435, pi. xxv. fig. 2, 

 and Catalogue, p. 7, 1882), from Port Jackson, is very nearly allied 

 to this species, and may only be a variety of it; it differs, however, 

 in the less hairy carapace with fewer tubercles and somewhat more 

 robust ambulatory legs, also in having a spine at the antero-extcrnal 

 angle of the basal antennal joint (in P. varians there is only a 

 small tooth). 



In my original notice of this species, I merely pointed out the 

 diagnostic characters distinguishing it from P. tenuipes, A. M.- 

 Edwards, which it closely resembles, on which account perhaps 

 Mr. Haswell may have omitted to note the affinity of his Micro- 

 halimus defiexifrons with both. The diagnosis of the genus Micro- 

 Jialimus given by Mr. Haswell is scarcely sufficient for its proper 

 identification. 



18. Micippa thalia. 



Caucer thalia, Herbst, Nature/. Krabben u. Krebse, iii. Heft 3, p. 50, 



pi. lviii. fig. 3(1803). 

 Paramicippa sexspinigera, White, List Crust. Brit. Mus. p. 9 (1847). 

 Micippa thalia, Gerstacker, Arch. f. Naturg. xxii. p. 109 (1856) ; 



Alph. M.-JEd wards, Nouv. Archiv. Mus. Hist. Nat. viii. p. 2^8, 



pi. vi. fig. 1 (1872). 

 Micippa thalia. var. caledonica, Kossmami, Zool. Ergebn. roth. Meen 



Crust p. 8, pi. iii. tig. 4 (1877). 

 Micippa inermis, Haswell, Pr. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, iv. p. 445, 



pi. xxvi. fig. 3 (1880) ; Cat. Austr. Crust, p. 24 (1882). 



A single female in the first collection, from Port Denison, 4 fms. 

 (Xo. Ill), is apparently to be referred to this species ; it is of small 

 size and densely pubescent. In the second collection is an adult 

 female from Thursday Island, 3-4 fms. (Xo. 175). Specimens are in 

 the British-Museum collection from Swan Biver (Bring), designated 

 by "White P. sexspinigera, and from Pa-tchu-san (H.M.S. ' Sama- 

 rang'); they vary somewhat in the length of the spines of the 

 dorsal surface of the carapace. 



Micippa inermis, Haswell, from Gloucester Passage, Queensland, 

 and Port Denison (H.M.S. 'Alert '), scarcely differs except in the 

 uniformly tuberculated carapace, and must, I think, be united with 

 M. thalia. 



19. Micippa philyra (Herbst). 



A male and female from Thursday Island, 3-4 fms. (Xo. 175), 

 and another male and female from the same locality and depth, but 

 larger, in the second collection, are referred here. 



There are specimens in the British-Museum collection dredged 

 between Percy Islands and the mainland in 7 fms. (./. Macgillivray, 

 H.M.S. ' Rattlesnake *) : Torres Straits (J. B. Juices) : W. Australia, 

 Shark Bay (llagncr, H.M.S. ' Herald'); Philippine Islands, Gui- 



