432 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



In a recent issue of ' Omis,' Count Ettore Arrigoni degli Oddi has 

 published a Catalogue of his Collection of Italian Birds, which com- 

 prises many rare species. We are informed that the Couut wishes his 

 collection to be known to English ornithologists who may visit Italy from 

 time to time. 



In the « Proc. Linn. Soc. of New South Wales ' (November, 1898), Mr. 

 D. G. Stead has contributed some observations on the Crustacean genus 

 Neptunus, founded upon specimens of N. pelagicus, " the principal edible 

 Crab of the Sydney fish markets." 



In this species the writer states " that up to a fairly large size, viewed 

 dorsally, it is impossible to discriminate between males, females and 

 sterile females. After this stage is passed, the chelipeds of the male 

 become comparatively much larger, attaining considerable proportions. 

 The sterile females do not become any larger, and, in comparative size of 

 chela3 and a few other general characters, resemble the female, excepting 

 that the female's body may reach as great a size as that of the largest 

 male." 



De Haan (' Fauna Japonica ') figures several species which possess 

 three types of pleon. He styles them — " Males, females, and ' spurious 

 females.' " 



Mr. Stead has only referred to the genus Neptunus, but he feels sure 

 that others amongst Australian genera will be found to possess these sterile 

 females. At present there are two species which he has good reason to 

 believe agree in this manner with Neptunus, viz., Ozius truncatus and 

 Platyonychus bipustulatus. " The former lives among loose stones in rocky 

 situations, whilst the latter, though really pelagic, spends most of its time 

 half-buried in the sand in shallow water." 



