I! . r
40. Turhinella (Tudicula) spinosa. (P late V. fig. H.)
Tudicla (Tudicula) spinosa, 11. A. Adams, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863,
p. 429.
IJab. Port Curtis (Coll. Cuming); Prince of Wales Channel,
Torres Straits, 9 fms. {Coppingexj.
This species is not entirely white as originally described, but has
an interrupted zone of pale brown around the last whorl immediately
beneath the crown of short hollow spines at the angle towards the
upper part of the whorl. The spines correspond iu number and
position Avith the longitudinal rounded plicas (usually averaging
nbout eleven or tAvelve on the last Avhorl), are directed obliquely
upwards aud a little backAvard, and increase in length with the
growth of the shell, but do not attain any thing like the dimensions
of some in the preceding species. Messrs. Adams give the number
of folds on the columella as th re e ; whilst in three out of four specimens
before me 1 find four, of Avhich the tAvo lowermost are very
close together and might be regarded as constituting one duplex
plait, in the type specimen this feature is less conspicuous, stiU a
slight groove subdivides it. The second or central fold is the most
prominent in every example. The lirae within the aperture are
fine, ten or eleven in number, and extend into the interior as far as
the eye can reach. The columellar callosity is free, prominent, and
joins the upper extremity of the labrum. The canal is remarkably
straight, nearly closed, and occupies considerably more than half the
total length of the shell. Tho type is 38 millim. long and 16 bioad
a t the periphery ; but another specimen is 21 wide, and probably, if
perfect, would have a length of 50.
Mr. Tryon’s supposition th at this species (Man, Con. vol. iii. p. 144)
is “ probably identical with T. armigera ” and tliat T. inermis
(wrongly attributed to Sowerby instead of Angas) “ is simply a
depauperated specimen of the same species,” is altogether wrong, all
three being undoubtedly distinct.
41. Mitra proscissa, var. (P la te Y . fig. I.)
Peeve. Conch. Icon. fig. 177 ; Sowex'by. Thes. Conch, pi, 355. fig. 264,
and pi. 356. fig. 282.
Shell ovatel}' fusiform, acuminate at the apex, olive-brown,
irregularly spotted and streaked in a longitudinal direction with
white, and encircled round the middle of the last whorl with a zone
of the same colour. A^olutions about 10 ; the upper ones flat at
the sides, separated by a deep sub canaliculate suture, strengthened
with three strong spiral costæ, of which the uppermost is a trifle the
thickest and situated immediately beneath the suture; the two
others are equidistant, the loAvermost leaving a furrow between it
and the suture beneath. The interstices are rather strongly sculptured
by eleA’atcd lines of growth. Upon a portion of the penultimate
and upon the body-whorl the two lower of .these three ridges
become double, each being divided by a shallow groove, and the
uppermost is bipartite. In addition to these the last whorl, which
is convex at tho sides, is encircled by a fourth duplex costa, and
again below this by about seventeen others, having the furroAVS
between them sculptured like those of the spire. The aperture is
narrow, brownish within, about half as long as the shell. The
columella is four-plaited, and the outer lip crenulated at the edges.
Length 37 millim., diam. 13. • , i, m-
Hab. Port Curtis, Queensland (Coppixiger) ; island of Iicao,
Philippines (Cuming).
The above description has been drawn up from two specimens
differing in certain particulars from the type, one from each of the
above localities. In the British Museum there are two examples
of the typical form from Kurrachee and Bombay, presented^ by
AV. T. Blanford, Esq., by whom they were collected. The vanety
differs in having the spire ungradated, a feature giving the outline a
very different form, and in having some of the upper liræ upon the
last and preceding whorls double ; both forms have th a t immediately
beneath the suture more or less tripartite on the la,st volution, hut
in the variety this peculiarity extends to the penultimate whorl.
42. Mitra peasei.
Dohrn, Px-oc. Soc. Zool. 18GÜ, p. 366; Soiverhy, Thes. Conch, iv.
pi. 357. fig. 76.
Hah. Port Alolle (Ooppincjex-) ; Australia (Dohrn).
The figure in Mr. Sowerby’s work of this species represents the
spire too suddenly tapering, the aperture too wide and the plaits
on the columella should be less equal in size and five in number
instead of four. The specimen from Port Molle is not absolutely
identical with the type described by Uohrn ; it is rather shorter,
yellowish, with a white zone at the upper part of the whorls, and
another round the middle of the body-whorl. But the principal
difference lies in the greater coarseness of the spiral rid g e y ot
these the upper volutions have three, the penultimate tour, and tne
last about twenty-four ; the uppermost beneath the suture is a
duplex one, and those upon the body-whorl become gradually hner
towards the anterior end. The five plaits on the columellagradually
diminish in size until the lowermost is_almpst_ obsolete, indeed in
one specimen in the Cumingian collection it is entirely wanting.
The grooves between the ridges are crenulated by elevated lines ot
growth, which in the specimen from Port Molle are particularly
strongly developed.
43. Mitra (Turricula) corrugata.
Mitra corrugata, Lamarck ; Reeve, Conch. Icon. figs. a, h ;
Coq. F+. pi. 22. Ü S . 67 ; Soivex-by, Thes. Conch, vol. iv. pi. 354.
figs. 41, 42.
Hah. Port Alolle, on the beach.
A specimen from the above locality, of immature growth, is peculiar
in wanting the fourth small lowermost fold on the columella usual y
met Avith in this species, in other respects according verj c ose y
A v ith the form depicted by Beeve’s figure 57 h.