160 ALEPAS MINUTA. 



in the reticulated character of the biliary envelope of the 

 stomach. To Conchoderma, especially to C. aurita, there 

 is a manifest affinity in the form of the horny scuta : there 

 is also some affinity to this same genus in the presence of 

 filamentary appendages though here little developed, and 

 in the circular form of the disc of the larval antenna?, and, 

 lastly, in the ovarian tubes in A. cornuta surrounding the 

 capitulum. There is quite as close, if not closer affinity 

 to Ibla, in the following peculiarities, — in the curved oeso- 

 phagus, — in the general character of the cirri and trophi, 

 with the olfactory orifices in one species in some degree 

 prominent, — in the multi- articulated caudal appendages, 

 — and in the plainly-articulated penis, with its elongated 

 unarticulated support, though both these characters are 

 exaggerated in Ibla. Lastly, the scuta in Ibla, though 

 not at all resembling in shape those of A. cornuta, are 

 formed without calcareous matter; and again, in Ibla, 

 the muscles of the peduncle run up to the bases of the 

 valves, and so almost surround the space in which the 

 animal's body is lodged. 



The four species of Alepas appear to form two little 

 groups; viz. A. parasita and A. minuta on the one hand, 

 and A. cornuta and A. tubulosa on the other. 



1. Alepas minuta. Tab. Ill, fig. 5. 



Alepas minuta. Philippi. Enumeratio Mollusc. Sicilian 183(5, 



Tab. xii, fig. 23. 



— A. Costa. Esercitazionc Accadem., vol. ii, 



part I, Naples, 1840, PI. iii, fig. 5 (secundum 

 Gueriu in Revue Zoolog., 1841, p. 250.) 



— Chenu. Blust. Conch., PI. iii, figs. 8 — 10. 



A. aperturd non promlnente, capituli longitudinis vios 

 tertiam partem ce quant e : scutls cornels, pane absconditis : 

 longltudlne tot a ad quart am unci ce partem. 



Orifice not protuberant, one third of the length of the 



