Mr. R. T. Pocock on Stomatopod Crustaceans. 473 



A retrospect of the speculations wliicli have been set up and 

 tlie views which liave been expressed will allow much to 

 ap))car as requirin<^ to be confirmed by further observation. 

 Kevertheless we should not under-estimate the difficulty of 

 proof in the treatment of a question in which sometimes even 

 but slight indications of old peculiarities must be of import- 

 ance. This difiiculty, however, will not be permitted to 

 suppress the attempt at an elucidation. The circumstance 

 that arguments may really be pointed out everywhere will 

 allow this consideration of the case to appear admissible, 

 while the fact that every attempt at an elucidation ought to 

 be made will show that it is justifiable. 



LXXIII. — Report upon the Stomatopod Crustaceans ohtained by 

 P. W. Basset- Smith, Esq., Surgeon R.N., during the Cruise, 

 in the Australian and China Seas, of H.M.S. ''Penguin, 

 Commander W. U. Moore. By K. I. PocoCK, of the 

 British (Nat. Hist.) Museum. 



[Plate XX. B.] 



During the past two years the Trustees of the British 

 Museum have received from the Lords of the Admiralty an 

 immense and very valuable series of Crustacea obtained by 

 Mr. P. W. Basset-Smith, of H.M.S. 'Penguin,' in the 

 Australian and China Seas. 



The Stomatopoda alone of this series form the subject of 

 the present communication ; but it is probable that when the 

 rest of the material is examined, the remainder of the orders 

 will be found to be equally well represented by new and 

 interesting forms. 



I may add that, during a recent visit to the British Museum, 

 Dr. H. J. Hansen, of Copenhagen, made a thorough revision 

 of our extensive collection of Squillidai. Amongst other 

 important innovations, Dr. Hansen has suggested more than 

 one new generic name for certain species that have been 

 hitherto referred to previously existing genera ; but until he 

 has himself published the descriptions of these genera, I have 

 not considered it advisable to adopt them. 



(1) Squilla fasciata, De Haan. 



Two specimens. Chusan (10-1 -1 fath.) ; Holothuria Bank 

 [2,A-m fath.) . 



