1^ 



A REVIEW OP THE VOLUTIDAE 



columella with numerous plaits, two or 

 three anterior most distinct. 



Genus NEPTUUIOPSIS Sowerby I898 



Septuniopsis Sowerby, I898, Marine Invest. 

 South Africa, no. 5> ?• 5- 



Genotype: Xeptuniopsis iilchrtst i Sowerby. 



Range: Off Cape of Good Hope. 



Shell elongated posteriorly, with 

 ovate body- whorl J nucleus large, bulblform; 

 aperture rather large, lip slightly re- 

 flexed; columella simple, without plaits; 

 operculum much smaller than the aperture, 

 oblong, horny, with the nucleus at the an- 

 terior extremity. 



Head with large conical tentacles, 

 widely diverging, bearing the eyes on an 

 expansion of their postero external margin; 

 snout rather long, apparently not Introvert- 

 Ible. Between the muscular foot and the 

 snout a soft prominence Is present probably 

 marking the opening of a pedal gland. Foot 

 large, oblong, double edged In front. An- 

 terior siphon well developed. In the char- 

 acter of the gill, the osphradlum, and mu- 

 cous gland, as well as In the position of 

 the anal, genital and renal orifices, this 

 form Is Indistinguishable from Valuta. 



The oesophagus, stomach and Intes- 

 tine form a simple U-shaped bend, and re- 

 semble those of Valuta and other proso- 

 branchs. An enormous appendix to the 

 oesophagus entirely fills up the anterior 

 body cavity. No peculiarities are present- 

 ed by the heart or genital organs. 



The nervous system at first sight 

 seems to resemble that of Valuta and Can- 

 cellarla , the sub-lntestlnal ganglia curv- 

 ing round under the oesophagus, and con- 

 necting the left with the right pleural. 

 It however differs from these two genera 

 In the relation of the supra- intestinal 

 ganglia, and in this respect more nearly 

 approaches the Buccinidae . 



Operculum oblong, horny, dark brown with 

 nucleus at the extremity; exterior marked 

 with faint concentric laminae; and with a 

 longitudinal depression In the middle; in- 

 terior roughly corrugated, with a shining 

 cartilaginous border. 



Radula: A single series of tricuspid 

 teeth, no laterals. 



The external characters of the 

 soft parts are not at all suggestive of the 

 Volutidae } for example, the presence of a 

 large, functional operculum, an uncommon 

 feature In this family, being present only 

 in the genus Lyria and closely related 

 genera. The nervous system closely paral- 

 lels the Volutoid type; the intestinal* 

 ganglion indicates a position somewhat in- 

 termediate hetveen Ad e lame I on ancilla and 

 Cymba pepa . 



Neptunlopsls gilchrlsti Sowerby I898 

 (Plate 3, Figures 29, 50, 31) 



fleptuniopsis illchristi Sowerby, Marine 



Invest, in South Africa, number 5, pp. 5- 

 7, plate, fig. a- shell; be- operculum; 

 d- radula, I898. M. P. Woodward, Proc. 

 Mai. Soc. London, vol. 4, p. 120, plate 

 10, figs. 2, 5, 11, 13, 14 (anatomy). 

 Pace, Proc. Mai. Soc. London, vol. 5, 

 p. 25, (anatomy and radula). 



Alt. 165, dlam. 57 mm. 



Hab. Off Cape of Good Hope in 53 fathoms. 



Shell elongately ovate, of light 

 substance, rather thin, semi-transparent; 

 of a light pinkish buff-color throughout, 

 covered with a very thin, fine texture 

 olive-brown epidermis; spire rather long, 

 nucleus large, rounded at the base and ris- 

 ing to a blunt point at the summit, slight- 

 ly tortuous, having much the form of a 

 tulip-bulb; whorls (exclusive of the nu- 

 cleus) 6, moderately and regularly convex, 

 smooth, longitudinally very finely stri- 

 ated, the striae being rendered somewhat by 

 coarser growth lines; spirally very finely 

 wrinkle-striated; suture Impressed; last 

 whorl ovate, about equal in length to the 

 spire, attenuated and slightly produced at 

 the base, but not rostrate; aperture slight- 

 ly expanded, columella rather straight, 

 without folds or plaits, columella, covered 

 with a thin effused enamel of the same color 

 as the rest of the shell; outer lips slight- 

 ly reflexed at the margin. 



Operculum oblong, horny, dark brown 

 with nucleus at the extremity; exterior 

 marked with faint concentric laminae; and 

 with a longitudinal depression in the mid- 

 dle; Interior roughly corrugated, with a 

 shining cartilaginous border. Radula very 



