SOME NEW OR NOTEWORTHY SHELLS UBDLKY. 137 



MONODONTA DIMINUTA, sp. 710V. 



(Plate xli., fig. 12). 



Shell small, solid, ovate-turbinate, dull and rough. Wlioils 

 five and a half, separated by impressed sutures. Colour very 

 variable; entire maroon or entire slate or eitlier with broad 

 radiating stripes of buff, or the spiials articulated with buff' on a 

 maroon or slate giound, or combinations of tliese ; tlie nacre of 

 the interior of the aperture bordered with emerald. Sculpture : 

 elevated spiral ridges, four or five on the upper whorls, about 

 sixteen on the last, smaller and closer on the base, both ridges 

 and interstices are obliquely crossed by fine growth striae. 

 Aperture subquadrate, brilliantly nacreous with a narrow border. 

 Base of the columella externally expanded, internally bearing 

 thi-ee small tubercles. Throat with about seven entering ridges 

 which commence at the bevel within the lip, body whorl with 

 a slight smear of callus. Height, 7 ; maj. diam., 7 ; niin. diara., 

 6 mm. 



As a dwarf form this represents within the Queensland tropics 

 the Austroclea of temperate Australia. 



Apart from the great difference in size, J/, diminuta is 

 distinguished by several tubercles at the base of the columella, 

 where M. zebra and M. constricta have but one. 



Hab. — I have collected this species on the beach at Mapoon 

 (type), Sweers Island, Cape York, Cairns, Dunk, Hinchinbrook 

 and Palm Islands. It was sent as from Port Curtis by Mr. J. 

 Shirley, and from Thursday Island by Dr. C. G. Seligmann. 



Minolta henniana, Melvill. 



(Plate xli., figs. 13, 14, 15). 



Minolia henniana, Melvill, Journ. of Conch., vi., 1891, p. 410, 

 pi. ii., fig. 14. 



The type of this species was obtained at Magnetic Island, near 

 Townsville, Queensland. The figure of it is rough, the descrip- 

 tion brief and it is therefore not easy to identify. Not without 

 hesitation I assign here a species which I collected at several 

 places in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Mapoon, Van Diemen Inlet, 

 Sweer Island and IVtornington Island, a specimen from the last 



