In a recent issue of 'Ornis,' Count Ettore Arrigoni degli Oddi has published a Catalogue of his Collection of Italian Birds, which comprises 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 chelæ 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."
