98 STUDIES ON AUSTRALIAN MOLLUSCA, 



I have not had an opportunity of late years of searching the 

 locality, and reclamation works now proceeding there are likely 

 to ruin the Bay for a collecting ground. Since there is no 

 immediate prospect of learning more about the animal and as it 

 is an addition both generically and specifically to the Australian 

 fauna, it seems best to no longer reserve the little information 

 now given. 



Megalatractus aruanus, Linn. 



Hanley has shown (Ipsa Linnsei Conchylia, 1855, p. 301, and 

 Journ. Linn. Soc. Zool. iv. 1860, p. 78) that the Linnean species 

 " Murex aruanus" referred by nomenclature, description and 

 bibliography to two species. One, an American shell, was 

 separated in 1788 from aruanus by Gmelin as "Murex carica." 

 The other, an Australian shell, was renamed " Fusus proboscidi- 

 ferus " by Lamarck in 1822. 



Unless we consent to altogether erase the Linnean name, it is 

 obvious that the names of both Gmelin and Lamarck cannot be 

 maintained. 



Gmelin's classification has been accepted by Dillwyn (Deer. 

 Cat. Recent Shells, ii. 1817, p. 723), by Binney (Journ. Nat. Hist. 

 Boston, i. 1833, p. 67), and by Swainson (Exotic Conchology, 

 1841, p. 6). 



The supporters of Lamarck's nomenclature have usually evaded 

 its consequences, and while using proboscidiferus for the Austra- 

 lian shell, have illogically called the American one " carica." 



Apart from law, the misapplication of the geographic term 

 aruanus to the American shell has naturally been distasteful to 

 conchologists. Rarely have American authors taken a position 

 like Arango, who (Fauna Mai. Cuba, 1878, p. 216) uses for the 

 American shell the term u Busy con aruanum, Linne." And in 

 law I would argue that as the Linnean designation covered two 

 species, the proper course to adopt is to accept the first revision — 

 in this case Gmelin's. If this is correct we shall lose a familiar 

 name in proboscidifems, but we shall gain in the undisputed pos- 

 session of a still more familiar name of carica. 



