A REVIEW OF THE VOLUTIDAE 



shores of South America there occurs the 

 genus Adelonelon a group of large and dis- 

 tinctive shells. While certain species un- 

 doubtedly extend upon the west coast of 

 South America In Chile, the metropolis ap- 

 pears to be that region bounded by the 

 Straits of Magellan on the south and ex- 

 tending northward to the mouth of the 

 La Plata river and Brazil. The region of 

 the Rio Negro mouth In Patagonia and 

 Maldonado Bay In Uruguay have been cited 

 as specific localities. Most of the speci- 

 mens of Adelomelon in museum collections 

 aj?e beach rolled shells. These were prob- 

 ably casually collected by those who have 

 gone ashore from ships for very brief peri- 

 ods. This is true of many specimens con- 

 tained in the National Collection. 



Mtomelon Is an Isolated genus liv- 

 ing off the coast of Chile and was taken by 

 the steamer Albatross in 677 fathoms. Only 

 one example of the single living species 

 has been obtained so far, although one or 

 more fossil species exist. 



Boreomelon, a genus of cold water 

 shells, occurs in deep water off Panama in 

 the Pacific, also in Bering Sea and off 

 Alaska, 



The genus Zidona living from Pata- 

 gonia northward to Brazil is outstanding 

 on account of the astonishing development 

 of the mantle with resultant deposit of 

 enamel upon the entire surface of "the 

 shell. Another feature is the development 

 of an apical spur which may extend more 

 than an inch from the apex. 



The genera Tractollra and Enaeta 

 are indigenous to Central and South Ameri- 

 can waters, the former on the Pacific side, 

 the latter on both the Pacific and Atlantic 

 shores, also extending Into the Caribbean 

 and possibly the Gulf of Mexico. The genus 

 Lyria is perhaps more widely distributed 

 than any other genus in the family. It 

 lives in the Antilles, Japanese seas, 

 Australasia, Indian Ocean, east coast of 

 Africa, and elsewhere. The shells are 

 mostly of small size and largely inhabit- 

 ants of shallow water. 



Aullca, a genus containing shells 

 with a large protoconch, is well represent- 

 ed in Polynesia. The shells, furthermore, 

 are large, colorful and often ornamented 

 with numerous spines. 



The seas of Australasia are most 



prolific in providing the greatest assem- 

 blage of Volutes. There the genus Amor I a 

 is most characteristic, its representatives 

 however not being confined to these seas 

 but extending to New Guinea, the Solomon 

 Islands, New Caledonia and into the Indian 

 Ocean. Cottonia and Mamil lana (the latter 

 living in the Bass Straits and elsewhere) 

 together with Iredallna and Pachymelon (off 

 New Zealand) are genera peculiar to these 

 seas. Volutoconus appears to be confined 

 to the waters of northwest Australia. 



In Australia, Polynesia and the 

 Indian Ocean region the genus Cyitbium pro- 

 vides the largest number of Individuals as 

 representing the family. Some of these at- 

 tain mammoth size being placed among the 

 world's largest gastropods. 



The fauna of New Zealand, and adja- 

 cent waters, constitutes a region generally 

 considered a portion of Australasia. The 

 genus Alclthoe which is here dominant 

 reaches its greatest development in number 

 of species and individual numerical superi- 

 ority. It is significant that such an out- 

 standing type should center in waters which 

 are distinctly temperate. A parallel, the 

 genus Adelomelon , is also most abundant in 

 the cooler waters off the east coast of 

 South America. Alclthoe belongs to the sub- 

 family Volutinae and occurs also In Austra- 

 lia, New Caledonia, and off South Africa. 

 The genus Fnlioraria seems to favor Japanese 

 seas as a center of distribution, while 

 Earpul ina prefers the Indian Ocean. 



Off Kerguelen Island in I50 fathoms, 

 more or less, lives the astonishing genus 

 Provocator . Between Marlon Islands and the 

 Crozets in I6OO fathoms the Challenger Ex- 

 pedition also secured Guivillia during the 

 year I88I and named later by Watson in his 

 report. 



European seas and adjacent coasts 

 of Africa provide the habitat of the genus 

 Cymba which Is entirely peculiar to this 

 region. The shells of this group are pro- 

 vided with an enormous secondary nucleus. 

 Cymba occurs In the Canaries and probably 

 also lives off adjacent island groups. 



Halta is a highly specialized and 

 interesting genus which occurs only in the 

 Atlantic off the southern coast of Europe. 

 It has been shifted from one family to an- 

 other in the past but the evidence indi- 

 cates It to belong in the present family. 



