A RKvisrox OF THi^] AUSTRAiJAX mnniKE. 



C'liAKi.Ks IIkplkv. 



(Plates xlii.-lvi.) 



The marine gasteropods embraced in the family Turridri'. (formerly 

 VlenrotomuJce) are considered b}' those who meddle with them to be more 

 perplexing tlian any othei- moliuscan family. This is because that family 

 embi-aces a bewildering wealth of recent and fossil species, fieqiiently 

 small in size, variable or indistinct in feature, and fi'om depths difBcnlt of 

 access. Poi- the most pait the species are expressed by a poverty of 

 individuals. This small proportion of individuM.ls to a species is the 

 general rule with carnivora, which by ecological harmony mnst be less 

 numei'ous in individuals than the phj-tophaga. But the consequent scaicity 

 of specimens hinders that exchange and comparison of material between 

 students, so necessary for the correction of error and advance of knowledge. 

 The I'ange of Turrid species in space appears to be rather naiTow. 



Our knowledge of the Australian Turridiv is still very incomplete. 

 The fauna of eastern Australia from Hobart to Torres Strait is best 

 represented in this paper; that of the north and west is scarcely known 

 at all; that of the south coast has been elaborated in excellent papers by 

 Sir Joseph Verco. 



Re-arrangement of species and geneia to conform with modern 

 taxonomy has rejected such old friends as I'leirrafoniK, Drill la, ]\l(ni(jeli((, 

 lTli//>htist()iiii(, L'latliurella, Cythara, and 7)V/((, so that Daphnella alone 

 survives of the generic names used in this group for our fauna by the last 

 generation of conchologists. 



About three hundred and seventy recent species discussed in the 

 following pages are divided into four sub-fa,milies. First are the Tnrri- 

 ml', distinguished by a narrow uuguiculate operculum with an apical 

 nucleus. As this feature is not always available for study, it is useful to 

 note that the nuclear whorl is comparatively large and almost as broad as 

 the rest of the pi'otoconch, and that the interior of the shell is often 

 fluted. 



An operculum with a niedio-lateral nucleus is held to be the distin- 

 guishing feature of the sub-family (^'liii-((ti(limi\ 



Those genera are assigned to the sub-family MninjiHi ikv, in wdiich the 

 pi'otoconch is helicoid, with a very small initial, and rapidly increasing 

 subsequent whorls. Here the texture of the adult shell is frequently 

 "gritty," from a scul[»ture of minute grains; the varix is usually well 

 developed, and the fasciole evanescent. A series of pustules on the 

 columella is an ordinary feature. The operculum is said to be missing. 



An elaborately sculptui'ed protoconch contrasts with the smooth 

 protoconch of previous groups, and gives ready recognition to the fourth 

 family — the iJnplmelli iin'. 



