266 COLLECTIONS PROM MELANESIA. 



slenderer, the chelse less swoUeii toward the base, and armed above 

 with stronger spinules, which are white, and contrast strongly with 

 the red ground-colour of the palms. It is possible, but I do not 

 think it probable, that this species is a variety of G. vulgaris ; the 

 figure of Quoy and Graimard was originally cited by M.-Edwards as 

 synonymous with that species ; nor can I be certain that the distinc- 

 tions mentioned exist in M.-Edwards's G. vulgaris, not having seen 

 the types. 



Another very small specimen of this genus is in the collection from 

 Port Molle (No. 118), which can scarcely be referred with certainty 

 to any species. 



9. Eupagurus compressipes. (Plate XXVIII. fig. B.) 



The carapace is nearly smooth, moderately dilated at the branchial 

 regions, with the cervical suture very distinctly defined ; the frontal 

 margia between the eyes is very little prominent, and there is no 

 median rostriform projection, and but two small triangular teeth 

 on the frontal margin, situate one on the outer side of each eye- 

 peduncle. The eye-peduncles are shorter than the carapace is wide 

 in front, robust, and have the comese somewhat dUated; their 

 basal scales are dUated at base, narrow, subacute, and entire at 

 apex, with the margins ciliated but not denticulated. Antennulary 

 flagella very short. The bases of the antennae bear a short spine on 

 their outer margins, which does not reach halfway to the apex of the 

 eye-peduncles ; articulated with the dilated base of this is a longer 

 spine, which is serrated on its inner margin, and prolonged above 

 the bases of the antennse nearly to the end of the eye-peduncles, on 

 the inner side and at the base of which is a small spinule. The 

 joints of the flagella of the antennae are setose. The outer maxilli- 

 pedes are remote from one another at their bases, and the inner 

 margins of the ischium-joints are denticulated. The legs are pubes- 

 cent ; the right chelipede is more robust, but little longer than the 

 left ; the outer margins of the merus-joints in both chelipedes are 

 spinulose toward the distal extremities, the carpus spinulose on its 

 inner margin and on its upper surface ; the hand in the larger 

 chelipede is narrow-ovate, and very obscurely spinulose on the 

 margins and in the middle of its outer surface, the spinules or 

 granules nearly concealed by the pubescence ; the fingers are rather 

 shorter than the palm, denticulated on their inner margins, acute at 

 their apices, and have between them no hiatus when closed ; the 

 smaller (left) hand is similar, but slenderer. The first and second 

 ambulatory legs have the joints, except the dactyli, somewhat dilated 

 and compressed, the merus-joints with a series of spinules on their 

 anterior margins; the dactyli longer than the preceding joints, 

 slender, somewhat compressed and curved, but not contorted. The 

 acute infero-distal angle of the penultimate joint of the fourth legs is 

 produced halfway along the inferior margin of the dactylus. The 

 fifth legs are subchelate, and the chelae densely hairy. The male 

 postabdomeii (as well as the female) bears several pairs of filiform 



