On the Australian Maioid Brachyura. 145 
XII. — Notes on the Australian Maioid Brachyura. 
By William A. Haswell, M.A., B.Sc. Edinb. 
I have been recently engaged in the study of the Brachyura 
Oxyrhyncha of the Australian coast, and, as a great deal that 
is new has been met with, and also a good many facts in- 
teresting from the point of view of geographical distribution, 
a summary of the results may be of sufficient interest to be 
given here. 
Taking into account the comparatively unexplored condition 
of many parts of the coast of Australia (particularly the western 
and north-western coasts and the south coast of Tasmania), 
the total number of known species belonging to this group of 
Brachyura (nearly sixty in all) is unexpectedly large. Aus- 
tralia, however, cannot, as regards its marine zoology, be 
regarded as a single region. The affinities borne by the 
northern coast of the continent to the southern, as regards 
their prevailing types of marine life, are much less close than 
those which either of these provinces bears to regions much 
more remote, or at least separated from it by deep sea. 
Taking those two faunas, the northern and the southern, 
separately, we find that there is in each a considerable com- 
mingling of the peculiarities exhibited by various other widely 
separated zoological provinces. Thus the southern fauna 
unites to its own peculiar forms some of the characteristics of 
New Zealand, of Japan, and, indirectly, of Europe ; while the 
northern is very nearly related to that of the Philippines, 
Borneo, New Caledonia, and other islands of Melanesia, and, 
more remotely, to that of the Indian Ocean and Bed Sea. 
It is noteworthy that by far the greater number of the 
species characteristic of the northern region belong to the 
families Periceridas and Parthenopidae, while the southern 
species belong almost exclusively to the Inachidas and Maiidas. 
As regards the species of Inachidas, one of the most striking 
facts is the occurrence of three species of Stenorhynchus (S. 
curvirostris, A. Milne-Edwards, S. brevirostris and S. fissi- 
frons, mihi), a genus of very wide distribution, though till 
quite recently regarded as peculiar to the northern hemisphere: 
one of these (S. Jissifrons) occurs also in New Zealand; S. 
curvirostris has only been found in Bass's Straits ; while the 
third species (8. brevirostris) ranges from Port Jackson at 
least as far north as Port Denison. A peculiar form belong- 
ing to this family is Oonatorhynchus tumidus, mihi, found in 
Port Jackson. It has the carapace subtriangular, rounded 
behind, the surface finely granulated, covered with hooked 
hairs, with a few minute spines on the lateral margins, and 
146 On the Australian Maioid Brachyura. 
various irregular smooth elevations on the dorsal surface ; the 
rostrum is well developed and slightly deflexed, with tri- 
angular-fronted cornua ; the eyes are non-retractile ; and the 
orbit is protected above and behind by two converging spines, 
which are separated from one another and from the upper 
orbital margin by wide fissures ; the epistome is transverse ; 
the external maxillipedes have the third joint expanded at its 
external angle ; the anterior limbs (in the male) resemble 
those of Paramithrax) and the ambulatory limbs are of mo- 
derate length, covered with slender hairs above, and have the 
terminal joint hooked at the apex. 
The genus Achosus is represented by at least one species 
{A. breviceps, mihi), found in Port Jackson; and a species of 
Oncinopus (0. angulatus, mihi) occurs both in Port Jackson 
and in the far north. The genus Halimus is highly charac- 
teristic of Australia in its temperate portion, at least four 
species occurring on the coast of New South Wales and Tas- 
mania, viz. H. tumtdus, Dana, H. spinosus, Hess (H. trunca- 
ttpesj Miers?), H. l&vis, mihi, and //. (Microhalimus) deflexi- 
frons, mihi. The last is distinguished from the ordinary 
Halimi by its small size and the absence of conspicuous spines 
on the lateral borders of the carapace. Other species of 
Inachida3 observed in Australia are Camposcia retusa, Latr., 
Xenocarcinus tuberculatum. White, X. depressus, Miers, Huenia 
proteus, De Haan, II. bif areata, Streets, and Menaithius mono- 
ceros, Latr. 
Among the Maiidas one of the most noteworthy forms is a 
species from Torres Straits, which 1 have named Chlorinoides 
tenuirostris, distinguished from the genus (Pseudochlorinus?) 
represented by Chlorinus aculeatus, Milne-Edwards, C. longi- 
spina, De Haan, and C. acanthonotus , Adams and White, by 
the presence of a spine on the basal joint of the antennas and 
the greater relative length and slenderness of the ambulatory 
limbs. 
Egeria Herbstii, Milne-Edwards, and E. arachnoides, 
Rumph., seem to replace, in Torres Straits and on the eastern 
coast of Queensland, the Stenorhynchi and Achmi of the 
temperate zone, and are associated with Chlorolibinia gra- 
cilipes, Miers, a species originally obtained by H.M.S. 
' Herald ' from the New-Guinea coast. 
The genus Paramithrax (including Leptomithrax) is repre- 
sented by five species, all seemingly confined to the temperate 
zone ; these are P. barbicornis, Latr., P. sternocostulatus, 
Milne-Edwards, P. Peronii, Milne-Edwards, Leptomithrax 
australiensis, Miers, and L. spinulosis, mihi. 
Among the other species of this family inhabiting the Aus- 
On a new Genus of Heteromerous Coleoptera. 147 
tralian coast may be mentioned Micippoides longimanus, mihi, 
Schizophrys aspera, White, Cyclomaia margaritata, Stimpson, 
Hyastenus oryx, A. Milne-Edwards, Micippa parvirostris, 
Miers, M. spafulifrons, A. Milne-Edwards, M. superciliosa 
and M. inermis, mihi, and Paramicippa spinosa, Stimpson. 
Among the Periceridae the only genus represented is Tia- 
rinia, of which there occur three species, all confined to the 
tropics. 
The family Parthenopidas, on the other hand, is very abun- 
dant in genera and species, by far the greater number of 
which are confined (so far, at least, as at present known) to 
tropical seas. Of the genus Lambrus (including Parthenope), 
there are no fewer than nine species ; these are : — L. longi- 
manus, Milne-Edwards ; L. turriger, L. hoplonotus, L. harpax, 
and L. calappoides, Adams and White ; L. nodosus, Lucas ; 
L. affinis, A. Milne-Edwards ; L. spinifer and L. Sandrockii, 
mihi. There are two species of Cryptopodia (C. fornicata, 
Fabr., and C. spatulifrons, Miers), one of Zebrida (Z. longi- 
spina, mihi), two of Gonatonotus (G. pentagonus, Adams and 
White, and G. crassimanus, mihi), and one of Harrovia (H. 
tuberculata, mihi). 
Sydney, Dec. 3, 1879. 
XIII. — Description of a neio Genus and Species of Hetero- 
merous Coleoptera. By Charles O. Waterhouse. 
On two or three occasions I have had brought to me for de- 
termination a small heteromerous beetle which appears to be 
always associated with grain of some kind, especially rice. The 
species appears to be not uncommon ; but I have been unable 
to find any description of it. Specimens of the species have 
been in the British-Museum collection for many years, but 
without any name ; and 1 have been unwilling to describe it, 
from the fact of its being widely distributed and therefore 
likely to have been in the hands of continental authors. 
Having again made an unsuccessful attempt to determine it, 
and being informed by Mr. F. Bates that he has it in his col- 
lection noted as a new genus, I now venture to name it as 
follows : — 
Ulomidae. 
Latiieticus, n. gen. 
General form of Tribolium. Mentum transverse, the an- 
terior angles rounded, the front margin gently emarginate in 
the middle, the ligula not much projecting, transverse, emar-