44 
in a single genus, I have in this paper used different 
names for oxyceros having a similar meaning, as . . . pro- 
latus. . . . 
Later, de Man describes and depicts two 
specimens similar to what Coutiere meant to 
be S. paraneomeris prolatus (or oxyceros) . There- 
fore, it appears to me that if the International 
Rules were to be applied to these unrecog- 
nized names (which are varietal names, not 
names of subspecies), Coutiere merely created 
a nomen nudum and de Man is the true author 
of the variety. 
Only a small number of specimens of each 
of these varieties was examined: Coutiere’s 
original description was based on 14 speci- 
mens— one variety upon four specimens and 
the other four varieties upon only two speci- 
mens each. It is evident that such a small 
number of specimens is not an adequate basis 
for the separation of varieties. For example, if, 
of the 100 specimens examined for this study, 
10 or 20 were selected and studied carefully, it 
is likely that at least three seemingly separate 
and distinct subspecies or even species could 
be distinguished; it is only the large number 
of specimens that permits the range of varia- 
tion to be understood. Consequently in my 
opinion the varieties described merely fall in 
the line of normal variation of a large popula- 
tion and are not of taxonomic worth; for this 
reason the previously named varieties have 
not been accepted nor have new varieties been 
proposed in this paper. 
Coutiere (1909) listed S. townsendi as occur- 
ring in the Hawaiian Islands; the record was 
based on a single specimen taken by the ’'Al- 
batross” on French Frigate Shoal. I have ex- 
amined the specimen which is in the United 
States National Museum. It has none of the 
thoracic legs, and these evidently (from Cou- 
tiere’s notes in the vial) were lacking when it 
was examined by him. Without the important 
dactyli and chelipeds it is impossible to identi- 
fy the specimen positively. However, in view 
of the facts that the anterior body regions and 
its appendages and the telson were within the 
range of variation for the local S. paraneomeris, 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. VII, January, 1953 
Fig. 14, Synalpheus paraneomeris Coutiere. Specimen 
from "Albatross” Station 3969, identified by Coutiere 
as S. townsendi Coutike. a. Anterior region, dorsal as- 
pect; b, telson. 
that S. townsendi is known only from the 
Americas, and that it has never been reported 
from these islands nor is it represented in the 
present large collection of synalpheids, the 
specimen has been assigned to 5. paraneomeris, 
DISTRIBUTION: This species is one of the 
most common in the Hawaiian Islands. In 
addition to the usual habitat in dead coral 
heads, it is found in heads of living Pocillopora 
meandrina Verrill. On Oahu it has been col- 
