

538 COLLECTIONS FROM THE WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN. 



43. Xiphonectes vigilans {Dana), var. obtnsidentatus. 

 (Plate XL VIII. fig. A.) 



Thus is designated a female with ova, from the Seychelles, 4-12 

 fms. (No. 104), which may be specifically distinct from Dana's types, 

 which were collected at the Fijis. As, however, Dr. F. llichters * 

 has recently recorded X. vigilans from the Seychelles, and notes 

 important variations in the number of the anterolateral marginal 

 teeth, I do not at present venture to separate the specimen before 

 me from this species. It is distinguished from X. vigilans and 

 X. longispinosus, as figured by Dana, and also from A", leptocheles, 

 A. M.-Edwards, by the form of the frontal lobes, which are not 

 triangulate and acute, but obtuse and broadly rounded, so that the 

 two prominent submedian lobes are semicircular in form. There 

 are eight antero-lateral marginal teeth on one side and seven on 

 the other (including the outer orbital tooth, but excluding the long 

 lateral spine) ; these teeth are very irregular and unequally deve- 

 loped. 



Specimens which I refer to X. vigilans, Dana, are in the British- 

 Museum collection from the Fiji Islands, i. e. Xairai, Ovalau, and 

 Matuka (H.M.S. ' Herald '). These all have the submedian frontal 

 teeth more triangulate than in the specimen from the Seychelles ; 

 in the largest specimen, which is about as large as the example from 

 Seychelles, they are very prominent and acute. The antero-lateral 

 marginal teeth are much more regularly and evenly developed, and 

 vary from five to nine in number ; they are least numerous in the 

 largest example. 



44. Scylla s errata (ForsJcal). 



A small male is in the collection from Mozambique, between tide- 

 marks (Xo. 227). 



As is usual in immature examples, this specimen has the teeth of 

 the front very obscurely developed. 



Specimens of this very common species are in the Museum col- 

 lection from the Mauritius {Lady F. Cole) ; Port Xatal ; S. Africa, 

 at the mouth of the Swartkopfs Eiver (Dr. A. Smith); Dukhun 

 (Col. SyJces); Bali and W. Borneo (coll. Dr. Bleeker); Philippines, 

 Luzon {Cuming); Hong Kong, China (J. Reeves); Fijis, Vanua 

 Levu and Bau (H.21.8. ' Herald ') ; and Xew Caledonia (J. Mac- 

 gdlivreiy). 



45. Achelous graimlatus, M.-Edw. 



Seychelles, 4-12 fms., a female with ova (Xo. 104). 

 Tho distribution of this species has been already noticed on 

 p. 230. 



* In Mobius's 'Beitr. zur Meeresfuuna cler Mauritius unci der Seychellen,' 

 Decapoda, p. 152 (1880). 



