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



A retrospect of the speculations wliicli have been set up and 

 the views which have been expressed will allow much to 

 appear as requiring to be confirmed by further observation. 

 Nevertheless we should not under-estimate the difficulty of 

 proof in the treatment of a question in which sometimes even 

 but sliglit indications of old peculiarities must be of import- 

 ance. This difficulty, 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. — Beport upon the Stomatopod Crustaceans obtained bt/ 

 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 E,. 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 Squillidte. 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) SquiJla fasciata, De Haan. 



Two specimens. Chusan (10-14 fath.) ; Holothuria Bank 

 (34-36 fath.) . 



