108 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



Dimensions. — Length of shell, 115 nun.; breadth of shell, 

 45 mm. ; length of aperture, 65 mm. ; breadth of aperture, 

 16 mm. Young examples give the following measurements in 

 the above order, 50, 24, 30, 12, and 45, 21, 27, 10. 



Locality. — Eocene beds of Muddy Creek, Western Victoria. 



Observations. — One remarkaVjly interesting feature about this 

 species is the preservation in one of the adult specimens of the 

 colour marking, which is similar to that so well known on the 

 usual form of Voluta undulata, Lamarck, but differs in not being 

 quite so frequently bent, about two angulations only being notice- 

 able, and in that the lines of colour are much further apart and 

 therefore fewer. 



This species might at first sight be taken for Voluta ancilloides, 

 Tate, but when closely examined numerous points of difference 

 arise which seem at present to necessitate the introduction of a 

 distinctive specific name for this shell. Some of the distinguish- 

 ing points may be summed up as follows : the embryo of the 

 present form is of much more gigantic proportions, and more 

 obliquely enrolled, and the general habit of the shell indicates 

 several points of difference, the whorls are not so ventricose, 

 though the suture is more deeply impressed, and the young shells 

 are much more suddenly contracted to the anterior end, there 

 are also minor differences in the spiral ornament, and in the 

 characters of the tliickened lip. 



Voluta gatliffi, sp. nov. PL VIIL, Fig. 6. 



Shell ovately fusiform, with prominently angled and strongly 

 costate whorls ; the spire, though prominent, is less than half the 

 length of the shell, and is terminated by a mammillate apex, 

 consisting of from one and a half to two smooth swollen whorls. 

 Embryonic whorls obliquely eni'olled with a laterally immersed 

 tip, the axis of enrolment making with the axis of the spii'e- 

 whorls an angle of about forty-five degrees. 



In addition to the obliquely enrolled portion, the succeeding 

 half whorl at least, and sometimes a complete whorl, shows 

 embryonic characters, in the eai'lier portion smooth, or showing 

 lines of growth, then wrinkles, which develop into angulate 

 nodules, and ultimately extending down the whorls into strong. 



i 



