236 



COLLECTIONS PBOM MELANESIA. 



In two specimens from E. Australia, the smaller of which was 

 received with fishes of H.M.S. ' Challenger ' collection, the cara- 

 pace is coarsely punctulated in front, perfectly smooth above, and 

 less convex, with scarcely any traces of the depressions indicative 

 of the cervical suture, or of the postfrontal crest and lateral teeth. 

 These probably belong to a distinct species ; the larger have been 

 designated in MS. T. leiehardti. 



Specimens are in the British-Museum collection from the Philip- 

 pines, E. Naga or Bicol {Cuming), which belong to T. crassa or to 

 a closely allied species ; in the male the larger chelipede has the 

 mobile finger arcuated, both are rather strongly denticulated on 

 their inner margins, and have between them, when closed, a wide 

 interspace. These specimens were designated by White T. obesa 

 (in manuscript) ; but this name has been applied by Prof. A. Milne- 

 Edwards to a very nearly allied form from Zanzibar, which difiiers 

 apparently only in having an even more distinct postfrontal crest, 

 and yet more strongly arcuated and dentated fingers to the larger 

 chelipede. If distinct, the Philippine examples may be designated 

 T. cumingii. 



It is worthy of note that although MUne-Edwards in his de- 

 scription says there exists no postfrontal crest in T. crassa, some 

 indications of one appear in the figure. His species may, however, 

 be identical with the one here designated T. leiehardti, in which 

 case the specimens I name T. crassa must receive a new specific 

 appellation. 



79. Gelasimus signatus, Hess. 



A series of specimens is in the collection, of both sexes and of 

 different sizes, from Port Curtis, some of which were collected at 

 7-11 fms. (No. 85). 



These examples agree with the description and figure of Hess *in 

 nearly every particular, and there can be no doubt of their identity 

 with his species ; but the margins of the somewhat triangular, flat, 

 inferior face of the arm are minutely granulated, and can scarcely 

 be described as furnished " with two rows of pearl-shaped tubercles," 

 as stated by Hess, whose specimens were from Sydney. 



There are in the collection of the British Museum specimens from 

 Swan Eiver {Bring), which I regard as belonging to this species. 

 In the largest, the tooth or lobe of the middle of the inner margin 

 of the lower finger, which is generally very characteristic of this 

 species, is not developed. These specimens were referred by my pre- 

 decessor, Mr. Adam "White f , to O. forceps, M.-Edwards ; but that 

 author says that the larger chelipede in O. forceps is smooth, and 

 the merus-joints of the ambulatory legs appear to be even broader 

 and more dilated than in G. signatus. 



No specimens had been seen by Mr. Haswell (who regarded the 



* ArohiT f. Naturgesohiehte, p. 146, pi. vi. fig. 6 (1865). 

 t List Crust. Brit. Museum, p. 36 (1847). 



