32 HENRY CLIFDEN BUENUP. 



knowledge of the group than has hitherto been possible. 

 After a careful examination of the original specimens, and a 

 close comparison of them with about 140 other examples, 

 collected principally by myself in various parts of the 

 province of Natal, and three specimens collected by Mr. 

 Farquhar in the province of the Cape of Good Hope, I am 

 convinced that two of Dr. Sturany's varieties are superfluous, 

 and that another form, hitherto undescribed, requires to be 

 differentiated as a distinct variety, in order to make the 

 group, so far as it is 3'et known, fully understood. In 

 justice to Dr. Sturany, and in order to show how the mis- 

 takes have arisen, it is necessary to explain that the original 

 material was very meagre, and insufficient for forming a just 

 estimate of the value of the apparent differences ; for Dr. 

 Penther only found four specimens, which, appearing to 

 show sufficient differences, were described provisionally as 

 the type and three varieties. Moreover, the shells were very 

 dirty, and, possibly through the fear of breaking unique 

 specimens, had never been properly washed, for they reached 

 my hands much obscured and disfigured by sand and leaf- 

 mould. The specimen which was described as the variety 

 cylindrica was calcined and had a large hole in the body- 

 whorl, and to wash it would probably have led to its 

 destruction ; so I was reluctantly obliged to leave it as it 

 was, except that with a damp brush I carefully removed 

 enough of the mould from its aperture to expose the small 

 basal tooth, which is said in the description to be absent, 

 and to show more clearly the tooth within the outer lip, and 

 the columellar plait, which are said to be respectively weaker 

 and not very broad, to be practically identical with those of 

 the typical form. The type of var. discrepans had the 

 apex crushed in, but its general condition was such as to 

 justify washing, though not syringing : the other two 

 specimens were sound. 



The fragile condition of the specimen described as var. 

 cylindrica has prevented my re-figuring it and checking its 

 dimensions, but neAv figures of the other specimens are 



