r
318 COLLECTIONS EKOM MELANESIA.
long joints, and is tipped with a pencil of hairs. The inferior anten
n a slightly exceed in length the head and first live segments of
the body; the basal peduncular joint is very short, the second is
slightly longer than the third joint. The first legs (gnathopoda)
are very slender and feeble; the merus short, unarmed; the carpus,
like the propns, convexly arcuated posteriorly and fringed with
hairs ; dactyl rather less than half the length of the propns. The
second legs have the small and slender merus armed with a posterior
spine ; the carpus very short, transverse, and equalling the proximal
end of the propns or palm in w id th ; the palms, in three specimens
examined, are large, similar, and subequal, longer than broad,
rounded at base, very slightly broader at the distal extremity ; the
distal margin, against which the strong arcuate dactyl closes, has a
wide shallow notch above the postero-distal angle of the palm, and
above this three or four very obscure indications of teeth ; the
infero-distal angle is not defined by a tooth or spine. The third and
fourth legs are very slender, with the dactyli about as long as the
preceding joints ; the three posterior legs are robust, with the hasus-
joints posteriorly serrated ; the fourth to sixth joints margined with
long hairs ; the merus-joints widening to the distal margin, which is
prolonged into an anterior and posterior spine, the posterior spine
being very large ; dactyli less than half the length of the preceding
joints. The fourth and fifth pairs of uropoda have the slender rami
margined with short stiff h a irs ; the sixth pair have the rami sub-
foliaceous, rather narrow-ovate and not greatly elongated. Colour
(in spirit) light brownish pink. Length (without antennse) a little
over 4 lines (9 millim.).
Two specimens are in the collection from Albany Island, 3 -4 fms.,
and two from Port Denison, 4 fms. (No. 122).
In the dorsally hispinose postahdominal segments this species
resembles Alegamcera diemenensis, Haswell, from Tasmania, but differs
from this and all of the other Australian species of Moera and Megamoera
described by th at author (as it appears) in the form of the
palms of the second legs, not to speak of other characters. I f our
specimens should prove to be distinct from Alegamcera suensis,
which is only known to me by Air. HaswelPs very short diagnosis,
I would propose to designate them M. haswelli.
Mr. Thomson* has recently described a .species, Megamoera fascicu-
lata, from Dunedin Harbour and Christchurch, New Zealand, which
is distinguished from both this and the following species by the
non-emarginate unarmed palms of the first and second legs, the first
pair being “ quite transverse,” &c.
8. Megamoera thomsoni. (P late XXXIV. fig. B.)
This species is allied to the foregoing ; hut the body is somewhat
slenderer ; the posterior and dorsal margins of the thoracic and
postahdominal segments are all of them entire, without spines or
notches, but the posterior and lateral margins of the third segment
of the postahdomen are armed with a series of small spinules which
do not extend over the dorsal surface, but reach downward to the
postero-lateral angles ; there are also one or two small spinules or
teeth at and near the postero-lateral angles of the first and second
postahdominal segments; the eyes are much narrower and (transversely)
longer than in M. suensis, the first peduncular joint of the
inferior antennse is somewhat longer and slenderer; the wrist and
palm of the first legs (gnathopoda) are much more hairy ; the spine
on the posterior surface of the merus-joint of the second legs is
much shorter, the wrist longer, and the palm perhaps rather more
slender and hairy, with a less distinctly defined distal notch, behind
as well as in front of which are one or two small teeth ; the three
posterior legs are slenderer, with the distal angles of the merns-
joints acute bnt not prolonged into spines; the rami of the posterior
uropoda are snhequal, hut much longer than in Alegamcera suensis
and less acute. Colour (in spirit) light yellowish brown. Length
about 5 lines (11 millim.).
A single specimen was ohtained at Albany Island, 4 -5 fms., with
the preceding species ; also two from Prince of Wales Channel,
7 -9 fm s .; and one from Thursday Island, 4 -5 fms. (No. 165).
In the long rami of the posterior uropoda this species somewhat
resembles M. mastersii, Haswell, from Port Jackson; from which,
however, it is distinguished by the larger narrow eyes and the
somewhat excavated and less distinctly toothed distal margins of
the palms of the second legs ; nor does Air. Haswell mention the
spinules of the third postahdominal segment, &c.
From Moera rubromaculata, Stimpson, it is distinguished by the
entire non-pectinated postero-dorsal margins of the postahdominal
segments, the narrow eyes, and the non-defined distal margin of the
palms of the second legs.
I t is also apparently very nearly allied to the British Megamoera
semiserrata and AI. hrevicaudata, Spence Bate, and may be only a
variety of one of these species ; but in AI. semiserrata the eyes are
represented as less narrow and elongated, and the dactyli of the legs
of the second pair are serrated upon the inner distal half, and in
M. hrevicaudata the palm has the inferior margin less distinctly
defined and more convex in its distal portion *.
I may note, in conclusion, th at Kossmann has described f two
species, Mcera erythrcea and M. massavensis, from the Bed Sea,
which appear to he distinguished from all the foregoing species of
Mcera and Alegamcera by the form of the palms of the second legs.
9. Podocerus australis, Haswell.
Five male specimens were obtained at Port Jackson from weed
on the ship’s bottom.
* M. semiserrata, is one of several Amphipoda which it would seem are inaocu
rately marked in Mr. Spence Bate's Catalogue as represented in the Museum
t Zool. Ergebn. einer Eeise im roth. Meeres, pp. 132, 133 nl xiv
figs. 1-11 (1880). ^