KvlJirin.] GASTROPODA. 381 



Quoy and Gaimard already remarked that the shells are very 

 often perforated all over by minute holes, and I observed this not only 

 in this species, but in most of the others of the genus, especially from 

 the North Island. It seems likely that these perforations are pro- 

 duced by a boring sponge. 



KM m. BUCCINIDJE, Fleming. 



Animal having a large and broad foot, truncated in front ; eyes 

 at the bases of the. tentacles ; siphon long. Central tooth of radii la 

 with 3 to 6 cusps, lateral teeth generally tri- or bi-cuspidate. 



Shell oval or oblong ; canal very short, almost nil, deeply notched 

 at its base, corresponding to which there is a fascicle upon the neck, 

 produced by growth-periods of the notch ; aperture ample ; columella 

 generally excavated, more or less twisted below, smooth or ridged. 

 Operculum horny. 



Distribution.- World-wide. 



Fossil. Cretaceous and Tertiar. 



Subfam. 1. 



Notch on the base of the canal very deep : fasciole forming a strong 

 carina upon the neck. 



Genus 1. COMINELLA (Gray, M.S.), H. and A. Adams. 1853. 

 Gomindla, H. & A. Ad., ( J.R.M., i, 110, 1853. Type : < '. i-h-,/,1/,,, H. & A. A.I. 



Animal having an oblong foot, truncated in front, attenuated be- 

 hind ; tentacles flattened, subulate, moderately long, with the ey<-s 

 at the lower third on their outer sides ; siphon long ; male organ 

 very large and thick. Central tooth of radula with 3 to 7 cusps, 

 lateral teeth with 2 to 4 cusps. 



Shell solid, of medium size, ovoid-conic ; spire not very high. 

 regularly conic ; protoconch obtuse, nucleus rounded and but little 

 raised ; whorls convex, grooved below the suture, ornamented with 

 axial ribs (sometimes obsolete) and spiral line ; the last whorl large, 

 ventricose ; aperture oval, widened in the middle, conspicuously 

 channelled above, with a very short and widely open canal below, 

 deeply notched at its base ; outer lip rather sharp, thickened and 

 toothed inside, contracted above below the suture ; columella mode- 

 rately excavated, smooth, twisted below ; inner lip large and callous. 

 extended over the umbilical tract : fasciole high and thick, with a 

 carina on the outside. Operculum horny, ovoid, nucleus apical. 



The genus is confined in its distribution to the Southern Hemi- 

 sphere Magellan, Kerguelen. south and south-west of Australia. 

 Tasmania, Auckland and Campbell Islands. New Zealand. South 

 Africa, St. Helena. 



Fossil in the Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary. 



