Ieedale. — Suter' s " Manual of the New Zealand Mollusca." 447 



My reasons for the recognition of Murdochia are that Lagochilus Bland- 

 ford, 1864, is antedated by the prior names Lagochilas and Layochile. These 

 names are being considered near enough to invalidate Blanford's name by 

 most present-day workers. Cytora Kobelt and Moellendorff, 1902 or 1897, 

 is long predated by Cytorus, and is therefore unavailable. 



Genus Palaina (Semper, 1865). [P. 185.] 



The reference to Palaina is not given, and, as I had occasion to look it 

 up, it may be here noted : — 



Palaina Semper, Journ. de Conch, vol. xiii. p. 291, 1st July, 1865. 

 Synonym : Pupoidea Pease, Amer. Journ. Conch., vol. i, p. 290, 1st October, 

 1865. 



Suter notes that the occurrence of the species in New Zealand requires 

 confirmation. 



I have examined the type, and it closely approaches some forms from 

 Lord Howe Island, but though I have tried to match it I have not yet 

 succeeded. The Lord Howe land molluscan faunula is so certainly derived 

 from that of New Caledonia that search in that island may reveal the habitat 

 of the supposed Neozelanic shell. My criticism of the type leaves no doubt 

 that it came from New Zealand, New Caledonia, or Lord Howe Island. 



Genus Melarhaphe Menke. [P. 186.] 



I have recorded my conclusion (Proc. Mai. Soc. (Lond.), vol. x, p. 223, 

 1912) that this genus-name should replace Littorina for usage for the Aus- 

 tralian shells commonly so called. Suter has given the correct reference 

 to this name, but the type I named as M. neritoides (Linne). The species- 

 name (p. 188) mauritiana Lamarck, 1822, should be rejected, as the Mauri- 

 tian shells are much larger and easily separable. The next name is L. 

 unifasciata Gray, 1826, given to an Australian shell, and this may be used, 

 but I think the Neozelanic shell may prove subspecifically separable. A 

 long series I collected at Caloundra. Queensland, were fairly constant, and 

 showed slight differences, but I will later discuss these differences in more 

 detail than I can at present. 



Fam. Rissoiciae Gray. [P. 198.] 



' Rissoids " have given trouble to all systematists, on account of their 

 small size. Few malacologists have deigned to study them, and most 

 conchologists have utilized the name for any minute shell which could not 

 be conveniently elsewhere placed. Hence, to the serious systematist 

 " Rissoa " is the most displeasing name on record. I drew up a scheme for 

 the differentiation of Australian " Rissoids " some six years ago. Unfor- 

 tunately, my MS. was lost while travelling, and it has taken much study to 

 arrive at a satisfactory appreciation of the austral forms in conjunction 

 with the European forms. These latter have been generically divided and 

 subdivided until there are about two generic names provided for each species. 

 With such a multiplicity of names available it seemed only a matter 

 of comparison to select those suitable for Neozelanic shells, and then cor- 

 relate synonyms. The Norman collection of palaearctic molluscs is now 

 preserved in the British Museum, and such a wealth of material can scarcely 

 be understood by the Neozelanic student. Series of shells from varied 

 localities showing all growth stages and variation, with paratypes from most 

 European workers, are there exhibited. I made a careful study of this 



