H. WOODWARD ON A CRAB PR03I THE NEW- ZEALAND TERTIARY. 51 



5. On a new Fossil Crab from the Tertiary of New Zealand, collected 

 by Dr. Hector, F.R.S., F.G.S., Director of the Geological Survey 

 of New Zealand. By Henry Woodward, Esq., F.R.S., F.G.S., 

 of the British Museum. With a Note by Dr. Hector. (Head 

 November 3, 1875.) 



[Plate VII.] 



The fine fossil Crab which I have now the pleasure to describe was 

 obtained by my friend Dr. Hector, F.K.S., F.G.S., from the " passage- 

 beds," Ototara series, Woodpecker Bay, Brighton, north-west coast 

 of the South Island, New Zealand, considered by him to be pro- 

 bably equivalent in position to the very lowest Eocene, or the 

 uppermost Cretaceous of Europe. 



I have compared it with the various genera of fossil Crabs with 

 which I am acquainted, and am of opinion that its nearest alliance is 

 with the genus Harpactocarcinus of Alphonse Milne-Edwards*, from 

 the Nummulitic series of France, Spain, and Italy. Of this genus 

 Alphonse Milne-Edwards has described the following six species, 

 namely : — 



Harpactocarcinus, Alph. Milne-Edw. 



1. punctidatus, Desm. M. Eocene, Barcelona and N. Italy. 



2. macrodactylus, A. M.-Edw. „ „ ,, 



3. rotundatus, A. M.-Edw. „ „ „ 



4. ovalis, A. M.-Edw. „ „ „ 



5. Souverbiei, A. M.-Edw. „ Dax, S.W. of France. 



6. quadrilobatus, Desm. ,, Dax; Perpignan; and Vicentin, 



N. Italy. 



Of the above species the specimen from New Zealand most nearly 

 approaches to H. quadrilobatus, Desm., in general proportions ; but 

 the carapace of the New-Zealand crab is much more tumid, and the 

 relative proportions between the depth of the anterior and posterior 

 halves of the carapace differ considerably. Thus, if an imaginary 

 line be drawn transversely across each carapace from the epibranchial 

 spine on the lateral border of each, we shall find the proportions to 

 be as under : — 



Depth of Depth of 



anterior half, posterior half. 



Harpactocarcinus quadrilobatus 29 46 



„ new species 35 40 



The carapace of the New-Zealand crab is 83 millims. broad and 73 

 millims. in depth from the rostrum to the posterior border. If 

 measured along the curve of the carapace, the depth is 83 millims. ; 

 but, owing to the curvature of the carapace this is less apparent. 

 The carapace is remarkably tumid, especially on the branchial 



* Alph. Milne-Edwards, Hist. Crust. Podophth. fossiles, 1861-65. Family 

 of Canceridae, pp. 196-207. 



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