42 



A REVIEW OP VOLUTIDAE 



Nucleus consisting of three whorls, 

 the first sculptured with rounded nodules, 

 tilted; post-nuclear whorls three, the last 

 very large and posteriorly obtusely subang- 

 ular; provided with about six, rather sharp, 

 partially open or closed spiny processes; 

 shell smooth, surface sllk-llke, ground col- 

 or Including nucleus Ivory, overlaid with 

 dull brown, widely spaced blotches; suture 

 adjacent to body whorl Irregularly crossed 

 by raised and curved extensions of growth 

 lines, the terminations of the latter 

 forming a wavy, incised line upon the pun- 

 ultimate whorl, adjacent to the aforemen- 

 tioned suture; aperture large, broad; col- 

 umella with four strong plaits. 



Aulica Sophia (Gray) 1846 

 (Plate 17, Figure ll4 ) 



Valuta sophia Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 

 series 1, 1846, vol. 18, p. 4^1. Reeve: 

 Conch. Icon., pi. 10, fig. 21, 1849. 

 Sowerby: Thes. Conch., vol. 3> Ist 

 suppl., p. 270, pi. 12 (Thes. pi. 26l) 

 fig. 132. Cox: Dlst. Australian 

 Volutes, p. 17. Crosse, J. de C, I871,. 

 vol. 19, p. 279, species I3. 



Valuta (Scapha) sophia Gray, Angas : Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. London, 1864, p. 52, spe- 

 cies 13. 



Valuta {vesper til to ) sophia. Kobelt : 

 Jahrb., deutsch. Malak. Gesellsch., 

 1877, p. 304, species 12. 



Aulica sophia. Brazier: (Chevert Expd. 

 Shells) Proc. Linn. Soc. New South 

 Wales, vol. 1, p. 205, number 23. 



Voluta (vesper tillo ) sophiae . Tryon: Man. 

 Conch., vol. 4, p. 87, pl. 25, fig. 57, 

 1882. 



Alt. 62 mm. 



Hab. Port Esslngton, North Australia; 

 Torres Strait, from low water to 30 

 fathoms (Brazier). 



Nucleus large, tilted, consisting 

 of about three whorls, nodules at periphery 

 bead-like, about sixteen upon the final 

 whorl; suture well impressed; post -nuclear 

 whorls about three; eight nodules to the 

 whorl; suture interrupted; sculpture con- 

 sisting of fine spiral striae and closely 

 spaced growth-lines; columella with four 

 primary plaits and one or two plalt-llke 



processes extending anteriorly, but some- 

 what oblique, upon the wall. 



The presence of four rows of distant 

 chestnut-red spots constitute the chief dif- 

 ference between this species and V , nor - 

 risl . 



Aulica translucida (Verco) I896 

 (Unfigured) 



Voluta translucida Verco, Trans. Royal Soc. 

 South Australia, vol. 20, p. 217, pl. 6, 

 figs. 4, 4a, 1896. 



Alt. 40, dlam. I6 mm. 



Hab. Backstairs Passage, Newland Head; 

 Yatala Shoal, 6-22 fathoms, rare. 



Shell very thin, translucent, 

 smooth, glistening; a narrow spiral reddish- ' 

 brown line close beneath the suture; axial, 

 narrow, curved reddish-brown lines, about I 

 sixteen in body whorl, composed of minute j 

 zig-zags or of small spirally elongated \ 

 spots; two indefinite spiral color bands 

 encircle the whorl; four post-nuclear whorl^ 

 slightly convex; aperture narrowed above by 

 the fold of the outer lip, dilated below, 

 basal notch wide, shallow; outer lip thin, 

 convex; columella with four folds. 



Aulica tissotiana (Crosse) I867 

 (Plate 18, Figure I23) 



Valuta tissotiana Crosse, J. de C, vol. 15, 

 p. 195, pl. 6, fig. 6, 1867. Sowerby: 

 Thes. Conch., vol, 5, 2nd suppl., p. 3OI, 

 pl. 16 (Thes. pl. 515), fig. 157. 



Alt. 92, diam. 49 mm. 



Hab. North Australia (Fischer), dubious. 



Shell elongate ovate, thick, shin- 

 ing; irregularly painted with zones of 

 brown spots; spire moderately elevated; 

 nucleus blunt; suture impressed; aperture 

 moderately wide; interior yellowish; col- 

 umella with four plaits. 



Allied to C. sea fa of which it is 

 possibly a subspecies. 



