300 Mr. A. Adams on new Molluscafrom Japan. 



new forms were occasionally met with. I enclose, with a 

 request that you will be so good as to insert them in your 

 Journal, descriptions of those among the Mollusca which were 

 the most interesting, and am, Gentlemen, 



Your obedient servant, 



ARTHUR ADAMS. 

 Genus CONSTANTIA, A. Adams. 



Testa acuminato-ovalis, rimata, spira elata, attenuata ; anfractibus 

 rotundatis, ultimo ventricoso, plicis tenuibus longitudinalibus et 

 liris elevatis transversis decussatis. Apertura ovalis, longior quam 

 lata ; peritremate libero, continue, margine integro, acuto. 

 This genus, I believe, belongs to the natural family Scalidce, 

 although the whorls are not disunited or ribbed ; the aperture, 

 moreover, is oblong, and the texture of the shell very thin. 



Constantia elegans, A. Adams. 



C. testa tenui, vimata, acuminato-ovali, pallide fusca ; anfractibus sex, 

 tribus supremis laevibus simplicibus, anfractibus alteris plicis tenui- 

 bus longitudinalibus et lirulis transversis reticulatis ; apertura ob- 

 longa, peritremate continue, margine libero, acuto. 

 Hob. Straits of Korea, near Mino-Sima; dredged from 63 

 fathoms. 



Genus IOLE, A. Adams. 



Testa turrito-subulata, umbilicata ; anfractibus convexiusculis, trans- 

 versim sulcatis, sulcis subdistantibus, interstitiis longitudinaliter 

 concinne striatis. Apertura oblonga, postice acuminata, antice 

 Integra, rotundata ; labio libero, simplici, acuto. 

 This genus is founded upon a deep-water shell, of which, un- 

 fortunately, I possess but a single specimen. It most nearly 

 resembles a perforate, elongated, sulcate Odostomia, without any 

 tooth or fold on the inner lip. 



I am unable to refer it to any genus, and consequently give 

 it generic rank myself. The practice of throwing a doubtful 

 form into any genus seems to me to retard the progress of 

 science, shirking a difficulty, and confusing the mind of the 

 student. The number of genera is of no more moment to the 

 naturalist than the number of species, provided they each re- 

 present a particular type of form. The natural position of lole 

 is, perhaps, between Monoptygma and Menestho. 



lole scitula, A. Adams. 



I. testa subulato-turrita, profunde umbilicata, alba, solidiuscula ; an- 

 fractibus sex, convexiusculis, transversim sulcatis, sulcis subdi- 

 stantibus, interstitiis longitudinaliter concinne striatis ; apertura 

 oblonga, antice rotundata, postice acuminata; labio simplici; labro 

 margine acuto. 



Hab. Straits of Korea ; dredged from 63 fathoms. 



