POSITION OF FOSSAKINA — KESTEVEN. 317 



The systematic POSITION of the GENTJS FOSSARIiVA, 



A. ADAMS AND ANGAS, and of FOSSARINA VARIA, 



HUTTON. 



By H. Leighton Kestkven. 



Part I. — The Genus Fossarina. 

 Some time ago I found that Fossarina patula, Adams and Angas, 

 had a rhipidoglossate dentition and a multispiral operculum. I 

 mentioned the discovery to Mr. Hedley, and he at once drew my 

 attention to the genus Minos, Hutton, and gave me dried speci- 

 mens of the type (M. petterdi, Crosse), and of Fossarina varia, 

 Hutton. The examination of tliese has been productive of rather 

 curious results. 



The genus Fossarina was described by A. Adams and Angas in 

 1863,^ their type being F. patula, from Sydney Harbour. A short 

 description of the shell is followed by the statement, ''Operculum 

 corneura, subspirale," and "this genus constitutes a peculiar 

 littoral form allied to Fossar, from which it differs in the curva- 

 ture of the inner lip and circular aperture." It is also compared 

 with Conradia, A. Ad , and Isapis, A. Ad., and here I might 

 draw the attention of those more fortunately placed than myself, 

 to the fact that none of the six species of the former of these two 

 genera have been figured. When dealing with the Japanese species 

 (Fossarina picta, A. Ad.)," Dunker questioned the correctness of 

 the systematic assignment of the species.^ 



Stearns and Pilsbry, when recording the same species, placed 

 it between Littorina and Echinella, removing it from the family 

 Fossaridfe.'' 



The statement of Adams and Angas that the operculum was 

 subspiral has proved disastrous. Hutton obtained specimens of 

 Fossarina petterdi, Crosse,^ to compare with his F. varia, and 

 found that it had a multispiral operculum and a dentition like 

 Cantharidus,'^ and in 1885 made the genus Minos for its reception. '^ 



1 A. Adams and Ano^as — Proc. Zool Soc, 1863, p. 423, pi. xxxvii , f. 9, 10. 



2 A. Adams— Proc. Zool. Soc, 1867, p. 312, pi. xix., f. 26. 



3 Dunker— Mar. Moll. Jap., i., 1882, p. 113. 



4 Stearns and Pilsbry— Cat. Mar. Moll. Jap., 1895, p. 62. 



5 Crosse— Journ. de Conch., (3), x., 1870, p. 303; (3), xi., 1871, p. 323, 

 pi. xii., f. 1. 



« Hutton— Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., vii., 1883, p. 66. 

 ^ Hutton— £oc. cit., ix., 1881 (1885), p. 369. 



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