44. Voluta volva, var. (P late Y. fig. K.)
( Chemnitz ?), Eeeve, Conch. Icon. fig. 24.
Yoluta pallida, Gray, Kiener, Coq. Viv. pi. 48.
Hab. Thursdaj' Island, Torres Straits, 3 -4 fathoms.
Typical specimens of V. volva should he uniformly of a fleshy buff
tint, exhibiting the slightest indication of two bands of a somewhat
darker colour across the body-whorl; the normal volutions should
be spotted with dark brown immediately beneath the suture, and
stained with jeUowish brown above it, and the aperture at a short
distance from the margin of the lip should be of a lighter brown.
Two specimens from Swan Eiver, presented to the British Museum
by Capt. Mangles, E.N., possess the above characteristics, but in
addition have numerous, more or less wavy and zigzag pale
brownish lines, most conspicuous upon the two indistinct transverse
zones, extending downwards from the suture, but not reticulating
in a longitudinal direction. The only specimen obtained by Dr.
Coppinger, although having the labrum much broken aivay, still
possesses considerable interest in th at it resembles the specimens
ju st mentioned, but with all tho tints much darkened, in which
respect it approximates more closely to V. reticulata, Eeeve; indeed
the group of Atolutes from North, North-west, and AAYst Australia
includes a number of species which appear to have several characters
in common, and present considerable difficulty of distinction :
such are, in addition to those previously mentioned, V. turneri,
Gray, V. prcvtexta, Eeeve, and V. ellioti, Sowerby.
45. Ranella rana.
Murex rana, Linn., Hanley, Ipsa Linn. Conch, p. 284.
Ranella albivaricosa, Reeve, Conch. Icon. fig. 2; Kohelt, Con.-Cah.
p. 133 pi. 38. figs. 4, 5, 8, 9.
Bursa siiensonii, March, Cat. Yoldi, p. 106.
A*ar. = Ranella subgranosa, Beck, Reeve, Conch. Icon. fig. 1 ; Sowerhy,
Conch. III. fig. 18; Kohelt, Con.-Cab. p. 135, pi. 39. fig. 2.
= Ranella heckii, Kiener, Coq. Viv. p. 5, pi. 4. fig. 1.
Hah. Port Molle, Queensland, 14 fms., rock.
Other localities attributed to this species are China and Ceylon
(albivaricosa) ; Philippine Islands and China (subgranosa) ; Nicobar
Islands (siiensonii).
46. Ranella pulchella.
Forhes, Voyage of the ‘ Rattlesnake,’ yo\. ii. (1852), p. 382, pi. 3.
figs. 6 a, b.
Ranella jiicunda, A. Adams, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1853, p. 70.
Hah. North Australia (A d am s); dredged in 8 to 11 fms. water,
on a bottom of sand and shells, between Cumberland Island and
Point Slade (lat. 21° S., long. 149° 20' E.) (Forhes); Port Curtis,
11 fms., and Port Molle, 14 fms. (Coqopinger)-, Palm Island, Cape
York, Cape Grenville, Darnley Island, &c. (Brazier).
The two embryonic whorls of this pretty species are smooth,
glossy, and very convex. The colour of the fresh specimen Irom
Port Curtis is light yellowish brown, with a dark brown »and at
the upper part of the whorls immediately beneath the suture. ^ I he
operculum is ovate, rather acuminated below, concentrically striated,
with tho nucleus near, but not at, the lower extremity.
47. Natica (Lunatia) plumhea.
Natica plumhea, Lamarck, Philippi in Kuster’s Con.-Cah. p. 51, pi. 8.
figs. 3, 4 ; Reeve, Conch. Icon. figs. 34 a, h.
Natica strangei, Beeve, I. c. figs. SI a, h. ^
Exemplum distortum = Natica leucophsea, Beeve, I. c. fags, oi a, b.
Hah. Port Denison, Queensland, on the shore (Coppinger); Cape
Upstart, and from north of Cape Hillsboro’, N.E. Australia,_craAvl-
ing on sand- or mud-bauks at low-water mark (J. B. Jukes in Brit.
Mus.); Port Essington (Capt. Wiclcham, E .N .) ; Brisbane AV at er
(Strange) ; New South AYales (Angas), &c.
48. Natica limpida. (P late Y. fig. L.)
Shell suhglobose, thinnish, semitransparent, whitish, somewhat
narrowly unhilicated, glossy, sculptured with fine lines of growth.
Spire small, culminating in an obtuse apex. AYhoris ö^, j e r y
convex, rapidly increasing, separated by a simple linear suture,
beneath which there is a narrow opaque-white margin Aperture
rather more than semicircular, narrower above than a t the lower
pari. Columella slightly oblique, straightish or only feebly arcuate
a little thickened, somewhat expanded at the upper part, and joined
to the extremity of the outer lip by a thin callosity. Cuter lip
(viewed laterally) a trifle oblique, and exhibiting near the suture
a small shallow sinuation. Umbilicus rather narrow,_withont any
internal ridge. Operculum unknown. Length 8 millim. ; greatest
diameter 9, smallest 6^. , m Uo
Hab. AYest Island, Prince of AA ales Channel, Torres Straits,
This may prove eventually to be the young state of the species,
a supposition partly based upon the larger size of the nuclear whorls
and partly upon the thin semitransparent character ol the shell.
49. Natica (Mamma) columnaris.
Natica columnaris, Pécluz, Reeve, Conch. Icon. figs. 19 a, h.
Hah Prince of AYales Channel, 9 fms. (Coppinger) ; Philippine
Islands (Cuming) ; Ceylon (E. W. H. Holdsworth in Bnt. Mus.).