STOMATOPODA.
1. Squilla nepa, Latr.
A small male is in the collection from Port Darwin, 7-12 fms.
(No. 173).
For remarks on the geographical distribution, and an enumeration
of localities whence the British-AInseum collection possesses
examples of this common and widely-distributed species, I may
refer to my revision of the group *.
Since its publication specimens have been added to the National
Collection from AV. Borneo f .
2. Gonodactylus chiragra (Fahr.).
Two small males are in the collection from Port Alolle (beach,
No. 98) in the first collection, and one from the beach at Thursday
Island (No. 167) in the second collection, of larger size.
Since I referred to the distribution of 0. chiragra in 1880, specimens
both of this species and of G. graphurus have been added to
the collection from various Alalayasian localities J ; and of G. chiragra
also from Ceylon (Dr. W. Ondaatje).
Dr. Kossmann § confidently identifies this very common species
with the Cancer falcatus of Forskal ||, whose name, having priority
over th a t of Fabricius, would displace the almost universally
adopted designation G. chiragra, 'ii the identification be correct.
But I am inclined to think that Forskal’s description may not improbably
have been based upon a specimen of the almost equally
common G. graphurus ; the words (used of the terminal segment)
“ in medio scuti gibbus, elatus, hemisphæricus, car inis longitudi-
nalibus, convexis, pone mucronatis numero quinqué ” will apply
better to the latter form, on the supposition th at Forskal overlooked
the smaU outermost pair of lateral prominences ; in 0 . chiragra hut
three dorsal carinæ are distinctly developed, and these, in the adult
at least, are not mucronato. Under these circumstances it will he
better, perhaps, to retain the accepted designations than to run the
risk of further unnecessarily complicating the synonyms by applying
Forskal’s doubtful name to either species.
3. Gonodactylus graphurus, White (ined.), Miers.
Specimens of this widely distributed species, which appears to be
very abundant on the N.E. Australian coasts,- are in the collection
* Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 5, v,.
pp. 25, 118, 120 (1880).
t Vide ‘ Annals.’ t. o. pp. 458, 459.
1 Vide ‘ Annals,’ t. c. p. 459.
I Malaeostraca, in ‘ Zool. Ergebn. einer Eeise in Kiistengeb. des rotb. Meeres,’
p 100 (1880).
II ‘ Descriptiones Animalium,’ &c. p. 96 (1775).
from Port Alolle, obtained on the beach (No. 92), at 5-15 fms.
(No. 118), and 14 fms. (No. 93). Some of these (No. 95) arc adult
males of large size. Also a small female from Port Denison,
4 fms. (No. 111). All of the above are from Dr. Coppinger’s first
collection. Also a small male from Clairmont Island (No. 151),
and two specimens from Thursday Island—a female from the beach
(No. 167) and a male from a depth of 4 -5 fms. (No. 165) in the
second collection.
ISOPODA.
1. Ligia gaudichaudii, var. australiensis, Dana"!
Here are somewhat doiihtfully referred several specimens ohtained
on the beach above high-water mark a t Port Alolle. Danas
brief diagnosis was based on imperfect specimens in which both the
antennæ and uropoda are wanting ; and as Air. Haswell had seen
no specimens of this species, and therefore adds nothing^ to our
knowledge about it in his Catalogue, the following description may
he useful :—-
The body is oblong-oval, moderately convex, bnt little laterally
dilated. The head is transverse, with its anterior margin convexly
rounded, without any median rostriform point, its upper surface
granulated and transversely sulcated, one of the sulci running
parallel to the posterior margin, and others bordering the posterior
margin of the eyes. The segments of the thorax are rather m-
distinctly grannÎated above ; the postero-lateral angles of the first
segment are nearly right angles, those of the second and third
slightly more acute,”those of the fourth to seventh segments acute and
posteriorly prolonged, yet not to so great a degree as in some species
of the genus. The segments of the postahdomen are nearly smooth
above in the middle line, but granulated on the sides, and have as
usual the postero-lateral angles acute and produced ; the posterolateral
angles of the penultimate segment scarcely reach more than
halfway to the apex of the corresponding angle of the terminal
seo-ment. The terminal segment is longer than the preceding;
the posterior margin has a very slight median prominence, and a
rather deep notch close to the postero-lateral spine ; the margin
of the notch, although sometimes slightly sinuated, is not dentated
as in L. gaudichaudii-, the postero-lateral spine is short and scarcely
reaches beyond the level of the posterior margin. The_ eyes are
very large, black. The minnte antennules are not visible in a dorsal
vieÀv. The antennæ are shorter than the animal, and have the
penultimate and terminal joints of the antennæ slender and elon-
o-ated the terminal longer than the preceding joint ; the three preceding
joints are robust and much shorter ; the flagellum composed
of 26-30 joints ; the joints of the legs are clothed with short stitt
setæ, which are most abundant on the inferior margins of the four
last joints ; below the terminal claw is a second small snhterminal
one on all the legs. The terminal joint of the stem of the uropoda
Cn
1 ‘
, - ' i’