Zoological Society. 59 



bat it has the same character of mouth and exterior colour. Both 

 species under the microscope exhibit very minute revolving striae. 

 The aperture is rather more than one-fourth the length of the shell. 

 The operculum has its polar point subcentral. 



The genus Melatiia of Lamarck abounds in a most extensive 

 number of species, and is undoubtedly the most interesting of the 

 genera of the family Melaniana. It is distributed round the whole 

 circumference of the globe, and inhabits the fresh waters of America 

 at least as far north as 45° latitude, and it probably exists quite as 

 far south, as it is found in New Zealand. In the north of Europe 

 there is not a single species known, while very few are found in 

 the southern part of that quarter of the world. In the middle, 

 southern and south-western portions of the United States, the 

 greatest number of species seem to be developed on this continent ; 

 and in the States of Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Alabama they 

 are the most profuse, and present an almost endless variety of forms, 

 extending to an incredible number of species. The rivers and lakes 

 of India and Africa have not yet been well explored ; but while they 

 present some of the most striking and beautiful species, it may be 

 doubted if they abound in the variety of forms which are found in 

 the United States. The Philippine Islands form a most prolific 

 district, where the development of these forms seems to have been 

 greatly extended. Mr. Cuming, with an industry, energy and per- 

 severance which portray the true naturalist, devoted several years 

 to the Mollusca of this remarkable group of islands, and his reward 

 has been, the discovery of a vast number of species heretofore un- 

 known to science ; and he well deserves the gratitude of all students 

 of this branch of natural history for his devotion to the collection of 

 a museum, almost, if not quite, unequalled in the Mollusca. 



Melania canalis. M. testd Icevi, acuto-conoided, subtemti, tene- 

 broso-castaned, flammis longitudinalibus ferrugineis ornatd; spird 

 elevatd, ad apicem costatd ; suturis impressis canaliculatisque ; an- 

 fractibus duodecim, subconvexis ; aperturd ovatd, ad basim patuld, 

 intus albidd. 



Hah. Small streams, island of Guimaras, Philippines. 



Length 2*1, diam. '6 of an inch. 



Remarks. — This is rather a large and somewhat robust species. 

 The full-grown specimens are of a dark chestnut-brown, the younger 

 sometimes a pale horn-colour, with longitudinal flammate marks, 

 nearly equidistant, and with distinct minute transverse striae. The 

 most remarkable character of this species is the impressed and rather 

 sharp channel at the junction of the whorls. The aperture is nearly 

 one-third the length of the shell, and the base is expanded, the co- 

 lumella below being flattened. 



Melania fceda. M. testd Icevi, conoided, suhcrassd, tenebroso- 

 fuscd, rufo-nebulosd ; spird subelevatd ; suturis s^ubimpressis ; 

 anfractibus decern, planulatis; aperturd ellipticd, subcontractd, ad 

 basim subangulatd, intus tcnebroso-castaned ; labro margine cceru- 

 lescenle. 



J lab. Rocky stream, Java, 



