I.—The Malacostraca of Natal, 
by the 
Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, M.A., F.R.S., F.L.S., F.Z.S. 
With Puates I-VI. 
HE naturalists of Natal are essaying in these ‘Annals.’ to give 
special prominence to the fauna of their own district, instead of 
leaving it to be merged, or submerged, in the comprehensive but rather 
indefinite denomination of ‘South African.” While still engaged in 
discussing the Malacostraca for the whole region, I could not but feel 
that difficulty might arise from my accepting Mr. Chubb’s invitation 
to treat of the same group in this limited area. Some overlapping 
would be only too likely to occur among details of one snbject in two 
contemporary channels of publication. On the other hand, the risk of 
needless repetition would be increased rather than diminished by the 
employment of two independent authors. Moreover, under present 
circumstances, not only may students welcome a two-fold opportunity 
for publishing the results of prolonged research, but editors may be 
equally pleased at dividing the responsibility. 
Two of the species dealt with in the present report are introduced 
as new, but both have very near relations already known. Less 
gratitude perhaps is due to the patrons of new species than to those 
who supply information about forms which have been named without 
effective description or adequate illustration. 
To Mr. H. W. Bell Marley especial acknowledgment should be made 
of his skill and enthusiasm as a collector. He has shown himself a 
worthy successor of Dr. Ferdinand Krauss, the highly distinguished 
pioneer in this field of investigation. The Durban Museum collection 
has also been enriched by the exertions of its assistants, Messrs. 
D. R. Boyce and A. L. Bevis, besides others whose names will occur 
as future opportunity serves. 
“BRACHYURA .GENUINA. 
Trine OXYRRHYNCHA. 
Famity MAMAIIDA. 
(1) 
Annals of the Durban Museum, Vol. II, part I, issued 28th December, 1917, 
