collected in Southern India. 259 



some grounds for conjecture that an examination of their oper- 

 cula will eventually prove their approximation rather to Clea 

 Annesleyi than to the Southern-European genus with a sub- 

 spiral operculum, to which they have been attributed. It appears 

 probable that, notwithstanding the basal emargination, Clea 

 will, with reference to its unguiculate operculum, be found to 

 have nearer relations with the Cingalese genus Tanalia than 

 with Melania and its congeners. The curious narrow and some- 

 what recurved process at the lower part of the operculum is 

 suited to the formation of the base of the shell, of which the 

 emargination is as strongly pronounced as in the genus Colum- 

 bella. 



It is not impossible that some of the American species of 

 Hemisinus may be found to consort rather with Clea than 

 with the original Swainsonian type ; but the association of 

 Melania strigilata, Dunker, and M. Esperi, Fer. (which last has 

 doubtless the spiral operculum of Melania), with such conspi- 

 cuous types as Clea nigricans and C. Annesleyi is scarcely con- 

 sistent with the present state of conchological knowledge. Clea 

 might apparently be united with more propriety to Buccinum 

 than to the Melaniadse. 



Melanopsis Helena, Meder (a Javanese species included by 

 Reeve in Hemisinus), approaches Clea in the deep emargination 

 at the base, but cannot fairly be included in that genus with 

 reference to other characters. The formation of the columella 

 is very different. 



Bithinia Travancorica, B. 



Testa imperforata, conoideo-globosa, irregulariter striata, striis mi- 

 nutissimis spiralibus confertim decussata, albida, vel corneo-flaves- 

 cente, translucente ; spira dimidium testse sequante, apicem versus 

 conoidea, vertice obtusiusculo hyalina, sutura impressa ; anfracti- 

 bus A\ convexis, ultimo globoso, antice sensim descendente ; aper- 

 tura obliqua, ovata, margine sinistro calloso, callo extus sulco 

 naarginato. Operculo normali, crassiusculo, extus nonnunquam 

 tenuiter radiatim striato ; nucleo subcentrali. 



Long. 6, diam. 5 mill. 



Habitat in stagnis prope Quilon. 



This shell approaches a smaller species found by Mr. F.Layard 

 in a watercourse at Bandurawelle, near Badulla in Ceylon, but 

 differs from it in having a shorter conoidal spire above the glo- 

 bose lower and penultimate whorl, and in colour and solidity. 

 The minute spiral striation found in several Indian species is 

 common to both. Specimens taken on weed and stones in a 

 pool were in very fine condition, and exhibited the delicate 

 radiating striation on the operculum ; a smaller variety from a 

 tank had the shells more or less eroded, chiefly at the summit. 



