258 COLLECTIONS FROM MELANESIA. 



I designate this common species (which is usually referred to 

 under the Fabrician name quadridens or quadridentata) D. dorsipes, 

 because Linmeus's somewhat detailed description in the ' Museum 

 Ludovicse Ulricas ' agrees with it excellently in almost every par- 

 ticular, and more especially as regards the disposition of the spines 

 on the postabdominal segments of the male, where, however, it 

 must be noted that there is usually a tubercle on the first postabdo- 

 minal segment, which is described by Linnaeus as " inermis." In the 

 female there arc between the larger spines or tubercles of the post- 

 abdominal segments several smaller spinules. If this species be not 

 truly D. dorsipes of Linnaeus, it would appear (as Hilgendorf notes) 

 that Herbst's name of D. frascone has still priority over the Fabrician 

 designation. 



Of this species there are specimens in the British-Museum collec- 

 tion from several localities on the North-eastern coast of Australia, 

 e. g., Torres Straits (J. B. Juices), Dunk Island (J. Macgillivray, 

 H.M.S. ' Rattlesnake '), and near Cumberland Island (J. Macgilli- 

 vray) ; also a small specimen from Shark Bay, W. Australia (F. 

 M. Rayner, H.M.S. ' Herald '), in which the eye-peduncles are rela- 

 tively much longer, probably belongs here. There are, besides, 

 specimens in the Museum collection from the Indian Ocean (Hard- 

 wicJce); Ceylou (E. W. H. HoldswortJi); Philippine Islands {Cuming); 

 Japan (Leyden collection) ; and China seas (K. Sivinhoe). 



There are in the Museum collection two specimens from Shanghai, 

 which have the carapace and ambulatory legs much more tomentose, 

 the median spines of the front less prominent, and the right-hand 

 chela (in the male) considerably developed, with the palm swollen 

 and vertically very deep ; they are probably only old and large speci- 

 mens of this species. 



Tbree female specimens from China only differ in the remarkable 

 breadth of the carapace at the branchial regions, and the larger size 

 of some of the wart-like tubercles of the dorsal surface, and are 

 probably not distinct. A specimen from Canton Province (Dr. Caii- 

 tor) approaches in the lesser width of the carapace ordinary females 

 of D. dorsipes. In all of these the postabdomen is deficient. 



Finally, two specimens from Zebu, Philippines (Cuming), which 

 White has referred to D. callida, Fabr., only differ in the slender 

 legs and in the obsolescence of the tubercles of the carapace, whose 

 surface, however, is uneven and elevated where these tubercles 

 ordinarily exist. They may be distinct or only a variety of D. 

 dorsipes. 



115. Dorippe australiensis. (Plate XXYI. fig. D.) 



I thus designate a small example obtained at Port Dcnison, 4 fins. ; 

 also two specimens from Moreton Bay (purchased), and four from 

 the Australian coast (Dr. BowerbanJc), but without any special in- 

 dication of locality, in the British-Museum collection. 



This form is evidently very nearly allied to D. gramdata, De 



