M E T A 



Genus MET A, Reeve. 



Testa conoidea, versus basin regulariter allenuata, spird bre- 

 viusculd, plerumqae superjieialiter canaliculatd. ^-ipar- 

 tura elongata, angnsta, fauce prope margiiiem radia- 

 lim liratd, liris breoibus. 



Shell conoid, regularly attenuated towards the base, spire 

 rather short, generally superficially channeUed. Aper- 

 ture elongated, narrow, interior radiately ridged near 

 the margin, ridges short. 



The shells for which I here introduce a new genus are 

 exactly intermediate in character between Mr. Swainson's 

 two genera Stromboidea and Conella ; but they constitute 

 a group of better definition, and consequently higher rank 

 in the system, than either. Stromboidea, on the one side, 

 represented by the Lamarckiau Strombi urceus and gibbe- 

 rula, and Conella on the other, of which the Columbella 

 lemipttHctala and picata may be quoted as types, can only 

 be regarded as subgenera of the parent groups, whilst the 

 six species which I associate together under the head of 

 Mda are distinguished by an assemblage of characters pe- 

 culiarly their own. There must necessarily be interme- 

 diate links on the confines of all genera, and in the pre- 

 sent there is a species, M. oviiloiJi's, with the lip ascending 

 upon the penultimate whorl, which might with equal pro- 

 priety be placed among the Conellte. In the other species 

 of Meta this character, which is one of the typical features 

 of Conella, is wanting. 



The form of Meta is that of a solid cone, but the lip is 

 sculptured within with short radiating ridges, such as in 

 Colunibella are developed as teeth, and in Strombus as 

 more extended ridges. There is also a peculiarity, so far 

 as the species are at present known, in the style of paint- 

 ing. 



The only information possessed relative to the habitat 

 of the species, is that one is from South Africa. 



Species I. (Mus. Cuming.) 



.Meta macrostom.*.. Met. testa subanguste conicd, spird 

 cylindraced, apice obtuse elatd, anfraclibus superne spi- 

 raliter lineari-sulcatis, deinde Ireviius, cito fortius sul- 

 calis et liratis; aurantio-fuscd, alio carve nebulatd. 

 Of ice rosacea ; aperturd elongata, fauce radiatiin li- 

 ratd. 



The large-mouth Meta. Shell rather narrowly coni- 



cal, spire cylindrical, obtusely raised at the apex, 

 whorls spirally linearly grooved at the upper part, 

 then smooth, soon more strongly grooved and ridged; 

 orange-brown, variously clouded with white, ape.x 

 pink; aperture elongated, radiately ridged within. 

 Conus macro<!ioMa, Anton?, MS. in Mus. Cuming. 



Hab. ? 



This species, which has 1 believe been described by M. 

 Anton as a Cone, very much resembles Mr. Broderip's Co- 

 nus cone itmus ; but it may readily be distinguished from 

 that shell by the radiating ridges of the aperture, «liich 

 constitutes its claim to a place in the present genus. 



Species 2. (Fig. 2 a, Mus. Taylor. Fig. 2 b, Mus. 

 Cuming.) 



Met.\. ovuloides. Met. testd cylindraceo-oblongd, spird 

 obtuse elatd, anfractibus supernh spiraliter striatis, 

 deinde lavibus, ad basin pauciliratis ; fulvo-caslaned, 

 alhido punctata et variegatd, apice albd; aperturd n«- 

 gustd, fauce radiatim liratd, labro subitijlexo, superne 

 ascendente. 



The ovuloid Meta. Shell cylindrically oblong, spire 

 obtusely raised, whorls spirally striated round the 

 upper part, then smooth, sparsely ridged at the base; 

 fulvous-chestnut, dotted and variegated with white ; 

 aperture narrow, radiately ridged within, lip rather 

 inflected, ascending at the upper extremity. 



Conella ovuloides, C. B. Adams, MS. in Mus. Cuming. 



Hab. ? 



The lip of this species ascends at the upper extremity 



on the penultimate whorl, after the manner of Columbella 



semipunctata, picata, and onulata, which are types of Mr. 



Swainson's Conella, and it may be therefore regarded as 



the intermediate link between that genus and the present, 



of which M. Dup o ntim is the^type. 



Species 3. (Fig. 3 a, b, Mus. Cuming.) 

 Meta cedo-nuli.,1. Met. testd conoidea, versus basin cu- 

 arctato-attemtatd, spird subelatd, acutd, anfractibus su- 

 perne angulatis, ad basin pauciliratis; fulvo-aurantid, 

 albo conspicue eUganter rnaculatd et reticulatd; aper- 

 turd subangustd, fauce radiatim liratd. 

 The matchless Meta, Shell conoid, coutractedly at- 



May, 1859. 



