186 LOTOEIUM. 



The circumstance that Triton had been used in other depart- 

 ments of zoology, before it was proposed for the well-known group 

 of molluscs which for so many years has borne the name,' has 

 been known for a long time to students of mollusca, but it is 

 only in recent years that the priority rule has been applied, when 

 Mr. R. B. jS^ewton^ suggested that Lampusia, Schumacher, should 

 be adopted. That name, however, was not proposed until 1817, 

 and we find that Montfort had already, in 1810, in the work 

 above quoted, suggested Aqiiillus, Lotorium, and Apollim, all of 

 which are regarded by some writers^ as subgenera of Triton, 

 though by others Apollon has been placed under Ranella. It is 

 obvious, therefore, that before accepting Lampusia, we must 

 examine the claims of Montfort' s genera mentioned. 



Commencing with Aquillii&, the etymology of the word is 

 uncertain,* and in any case is hybrid. "When it is emended, in 

 the manner suggested by Agassiz^ and others, we hsi^e Aquilus, 

 or Aquila, which is anticipated by the well-known Aquila, 

 Brisson,* in ornithology, and by several other authors prior to the 

 appearance of Montfort's work. To prevent difficulty, therefore, 

 it is not advisable to select Aquillus, the more so that Montfort 

 suggested another name at the same time, in the same work, 

 which will do very well. 



In reference to Apollon, although that has been included by 

 authors as a subgenus of Triton, it has also been called a Ranella. 

 It is certainly worthy of generic rank, and under the name of 

 Argohuccinum has recently '' been restored to that status (see 

 also p. 195), and is thus not available to take the place of Triton. 



We are left with Lotorium, which we would now suggest 

 should be adopted for the group hitherto denominated Triton, or 

 Lampusia. In this view Mr. Edgar A. Smith fully concurs. 



Type. — Murex lotorium, Linnaeus. 



' E.g. Tryon, Manual of Concliology, vol. iii. 1881, p. 7. 

 - Syst. List Edwards Coll. B.M. 1891, p. 145. 

 3 E.g. Fiseher, Manuel de Couehyl. 1884, p. 655. 



* Herrmannsen, Indicis Generum Malac. vol. i. 1846, p. 71. 



* Nomenclator Zoologicus, 1846, p. 31, Moll. p. 7. 

 6 Ornithologie, vol. i. 1760, p. 419. 



'' Cossmann, Ann. Soc. Eoy. Malac. Belg. t. xxxi. 1896, p. 82. 



