130 HELIX-HADEA. 



Group of H. grayi Pfr. 



This group comprises the more prominent Helices of New South 

 Wales, representing there the Sphcerospira of the warmer portions 

 of Australia. 



H. GRAYI Pfeiffer. PI. 43, figs. 42, 43, 44. 



Shell nearly imperforate, depressed-globose with low-conoidal 

 spire, the periphery girdled by an indistinct carina ; clear light yel- 

 low with a sutural margin and small umbilical patch of chestnut; 

 surface densely and very minutely granulated, smoother and shin- 

 ing toward the umbilicus, which is closed except for a narrow chink. 



The form varies somewhat in respect to elevation of spire and prom- 

 inence of the peripheral keel. It is rather thin but strong, a little 

 translucent. The ground-color is yellow or pale greenish-yellow. 

 Whorls 6, convex, the last somewhat descending in front. Aper- 

 ture oblique, rounded-lunar, pinkish or brownish inside ; outer lip 

 blunt, not expanded ; baso-columellar lip rose-colored, narrowly re- 

 flexed, suddenly dilated at the umbilicus and almost closing it. 



Alt. 22, greater diam. 27, lesser 24 mill. 



Brisbane Water; Ash Island; Hunter River; Clarence River 

 etc., as far north as Brisbane; South of Sydney as far as Ulladulla, 

 but never far from the sea coast. 



H. grayi PFR., Symbols iii, p. 68. REEVE, Conch. Icon. f. 755. 

 Cox, Monogr. Austr. L. Sh. p. 35, t. 6, f. 5; t. 1, f. 4, 9; t. 10, f. 7. 



The typical form is easily known by its straw-yellow or citron- 

 yellow ground, banded with brown at suture, and with a brown 

 umbilical patch. Numerous specimens, however, have a broad brown 

 girdle covering most of the body-whorl, its edges fading into the 

 ground-color on the base and above. A specimen of this form is 

 figured. The peripheral keel is almost obsolete on some examples. 

 The smallest specimen I have seen measures alt. 16, diam. 20 mill. 



Var. BEDNALLI Brazier. 



Shell perforated, rather conoidly globose, very thin, fragile, 

 obliquely rugose at the upper part, granulated under the lens, sub- 

 diaphanous, light horny green, with a fine reddish ring encircling 

 the suture, and a rather broad one of the same colour encircling the 

 perforation; spire conoid, somewhat obtuse; whorls 5 to 5J, moder- 

 ately convex, the last very much inflated, rounded ; base convex, 

 much smoother than the upper surface ; aperture obliquely lunar, 



