180 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLEXGEB. 



horny or translucent glassy white, with some brown stains vaguely linear. Spire high, 

 conical, scalar. Apex small, consisting of 3^ depressedly globose, glossy, keeled, 

 embryonic whorls. Whorls 9 to 10, horizontally shouldered, angulated, cylindrical, with 

 a short, rounded, and contracted base. Suture marginated and slightly constricted. 

 Mouth round, sharply pointed above. Outer lip rounded on the edge and narrowly 

 reverted, straight above, rounded at the base, more or less patulous throughout ; the 

 canal has a reverted, flanged margin. Inner lip convex on the body, concave in the 

 middle, straight on the pillar; the labial glaze, which is very glassy, spreads broadly 

 and undefinedly on the body, and projects with a narrow prominent edge down the 

 pillar, which has a flanged and twisted point. H. 078 in. B. 0-39. Penultimate whorl, 

 height 0-16. Mouth, height 0'38, breadth 0-22. 



It is quite possible this may prove to be only a deep-water variety of that very variable species, 

 Nassa glans, L. ; but it is so different that it is impossible to place it in that group, and, indeed, 

 Mr Marrat connects it with a different section altogether. There is no form which unites the 

 polish and the exquisite sculpture of this species. 



12. Nassa {Alectryon) inonile (Kiener). 



Buccinum coronatum, var. Quoyand Gaimard, "Astrolabe" (ZooL), vol. hi. p. 44, pi. xxxii. figs. 11, 12. 

 Buceinum inonile, Kiener, Iconographie, p. 68, sp. 66, pi. xi. fig. 40. 

 Nassa „ A. Adams, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1851, p. 103, sp. 4. 



,, ,, Keeve, Conch. Icon., vol. viii. pi. vi. fig. 38. 



,, (Alectryon) monile, Tryon, Manual, vol. iv. p. 28, pi. ix. figs. 60-68. 



July 21, 1874. Eeefs off Tongatabu. 



Habitat. — New Guinea (Adams), Philippines (Eeeve). 



I have quoted Mr TYyon's representatives of this species as he figures them. They offer a strange 

 medley. Perhaps nowhere is guessing more cruel than in regard to the Nassas. They form a very 

 difficult group, in which even the most cautious and practised observer may err, but his errors ought, 

 at the very least, to have their basis in observation of facts. The only thing to be done with guess- 

 work is to sweep it utterly aside as a fresh creation of difficulties. 



13. Nassa (Zeuxis) algida, Reeve. 



Nassa algida, Eeeve, Conch. Icon., vol. viii. pi. xxii. fig. 145. 



Nassa (Zeuxis) pida, of Dunker, var. algida, Tryon, Manual, vol. iv. p. 36, pi. xi. fig. 141. 



1 September 8, 1874. Cape York, off Albany Island, Torres Strait. 3 to 12 fathoms. 

 Station 208. January 17, 1875. Lat. 11° 37' N., long. 123° 31' E. Philippines. 

 18 fathoms. Blue mud. 



Habitat. — Moreton Bay, Australia (Reeve). 



