Zoological Society, S81 



to the Society. These birds were brought under the notice of the 

 Meeting by Mr. Gould, who, at the request of the Chairman, pointed 

 out the most interesting among them, both as regarded the Society's 

 collection, and with reference to their novelty or the peculiarities of 

 their form. As, however, Mr. Hodgson himself purposes to describe 

 at length the characters and habits of the several species in his pro- 

 posed ' Zoology of Nepal,' Mr. Gould abstained from entering more 

 particularly into those topics. 



A paper was read " On Clavagella, by W. J. Broderip, Esq." It 

 was accompanied by drawings illustrative of the new species de- 

 scribed in it. 



The author commences by a history of the genus from the time 

 when Lamarck established it for the reception of four fossil species, 

 two of which he had previously referred to his genus Fistulana. A 

 recent species was subsequently described and figured by Mr. G. B. 

 Sowerby.in his 'Genera of Recent and Fossil Shells,' under the name 

 of Clav. aperta ; and a second recent species, Clav. Australis, has 

 since been described and figured by the same conchologist ; M. Au- 

 douin has noticed another recent Shell which he refers to this ge- 

 nus ; and some details have been published by M. Rang of an ad- 

 ditional recent species, his Clav. Rapa. The collection of Mr. Cum- 

 ing furnishes another recent species, the anatomy of which formed 

 the subject of a paper read by Mr. Owen at the last Meeting of the 

 Society; there exists yet another in that of Mr. Isaac Lyon Gold- 

 smid ; and another in those of Mr. Cuming and Mr. Miller. 



A close examination of the recent species which he has observed 

 has convinced Mr. Broderip that although one valve of the shell is 

 always fixed or imbedded in the chamber formed in the hard sur- 

 rounding substance, the tube is not necessarily continued into a com- 

 plete testaceous clavate shape, and that consequently the character 

 assigned by Lamarck to the genus requires emendation. The fixed 

 valve is in all these species continued on to the tube. In Mr. 

 Cuming's the perforated shelly plates are situated not far from 

 the throat of the tube, one on either side ; while in Mr. Gold- 

 smid's the perforated plate is single, and seated at the anterior or 

 greater end of the ovate chamber, being in the smaller individual 

 joined laterally to the anterior ventral edge of the fixed valve, and 

 in the larger one wholly isolated from it. In all the specimens the 

 anterior edge of the fixed valve is surrounded by the naked wall of 

 the chamber. 



After remarking on the difficulty of clearly defining species where 

 the roughness or smoothness of the surface of the shell and even its 

 shape may depend upon the greater or less degree of hardness of 

 the material of which the chamber is formed ; where colour also is 

 absent ; and from specimens of which the tubes are broken ; Mr. 

 Broderip proceeds to suggest the following distinguishing characters. 

 The first two may, he remarks, hereafter prove to be mere varieties, 

 although he is strongly disposed to regard them as constituting 

 distinct species : 



Clavagella. elongata. Clav. camerd elongato-ovatd ; valvd liberd 



