T. W. Kirk. — On a new Species of Palinuriis. 313 



only seen a newspaper cutting, and have not been able to obtain par- 

 ticulars. 



5. A fifth was found by Mr. Moore, near Flat Point, East Coast. A 

 description was sent to Mr. Beetham, M.H.E., who, I believe, intends com- 

 municating it to this Society. 



It will be seen by the above notice that there are at least two species of 

 " Giant Cephalopods" on our coast, as the "Waimarama specimen had only 

 eight arms, while those captured at Cape Campbell and Wellington were 

 true Decapods. 



I would take this opportunity of recording my thanks to the three young 

 gentlemen who brought news into town of the stranding of the Lyall Bay 

 specimen. 



Art. XLIV.- — DescrijMon of a new Species of Palinurus. By T. W. Kirk, 

 Assistant in the Colonial Museum. 



Plate XL 

 [Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 21st February, 1880.] 

 The specimen described in this paper was obtained by Mr. J. Buchanan, 

 F.L.S., in December, 1877, at Whaingaroa, a small harbour on the West 

 Coast of the North Island. It was placed in the Colonial Museum, and 

 until lately bore the label " Palinurus huyelii var. tuniidits," in the hand- 

 writing of Dr. Hector, by whom it has since been entrusted to me for 

 description. 



In general appearance, this fine species approaches very near P. hngelii, 

 from the Indian Ocean, and might at first be mistaken for it ; I have, 

 however, carefully compared our specimen with Dr. Heller's description of 

 P. hugelii,-'' and it appears to me to possess characters sufficiently distinct 

 to justify its elevation to the rank of a species. 



I therefore propose to retain Dr. Hector's MS. name, and designate the 

 new species " Palinurus tumidus," although perhaps, giganteus, would be 

 quite as appropriate, the total length from the tip of the beak to the end of 

 the telson being 24 inches, the carapace very much swollen and measuring 

 21i; inches in ch'cumference. 



Dr. Hector informs me that this is the common crawfish at the Sydney 

 market, yet, strange to say, although so large and so common, it does not 

 appear to have been described, the only attempt made to identify it being 

 found in the Sydney Museum, where a specimen bears the label " Palinurus 

 hugelii /." 



* See Eeise der Osterreichischen Fregatte Novara, Crustaceen, p. 96, tab. VIII. 



88 



