216 RliCORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAX MUSEUM. 



Plenrotomu peaneana Danker, Malak. Blatt., xviii., 1871, p. 158. Id. 

 Weiukauff, Conch. Cab., 1876, p. 69, pi. xv., figs. 1, 3. 



Pleurotoma jii-helii Weinkauff, Coiicb. Cab., 1875, p. 20, pi. iv., figs. 2, 8. 



Tleurotoma tigriiia Poiiez and Miclmiid, Galerie Moll. Mus. Douai, i., 1838, 

 p. 448. Id. Brazier, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.Wales, ii., 1877 (1878), 

 p. 368. 



Turris aruta Hedley, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.Wale.s, xxxii., 1907, p. 484. 



? Lophiotoma micrustictii Casej, Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Lonis, xiv., 1904, 

 p. 130. 



Thus I have identified a shell which is common along tlie east coast 

 of tropical Queensland, both in the muddy estuary and off coral reefs. In 

 life it is clothed in a thick fibrous epidermis which, as in niy figure,. hides 

 the colour pattern of the shell beneath. Tlie size and density of the 

 brown dots vary. Some difference in proportion also occui's, thus a stout 

 specimen from Hope Island is 42 mm. long and 13 mm. broad, but a 

 slender specimen from Cape Flattery is 40 mm. long and 10 mm. broad. 

 A shell 30 mm. in length which I dredged alive at the entrance of the 

 Starcke River is here illustrated (PI. xlii., fig. 2). Another (PI. xlii., fig. 3) 

 dredged in 3 fathoms off Eagle Island, North Queensland, exhibited the 

 following features: — Apex mucronate, of two smooth and glossy whorls, 

 followed by whorls bearing a strong subsutural ridge and a double peri- 

 pheral keel. The upper four whorls are distinguished b}' a uniform 

 cinnamon brown from the white remainder of the shell. 



The confusion of nomenclature applied to this species was in the first 

 instance probably due to the blindness of Lamarck, whereby the names 

 of different species were displaced. Thus the shell named Flenrotonni 

 marmorata in 1822 was different to what he had figured under that name 

 in 1816. Blainville'* was the first to obsei've the trans[)osition. Bi-azier, 

 who was the first to note this as an Australian species, used foi' it the 

 name of Phiirofoma tigrlna ; but, according to Kiener's figure of authentic 

 material, 1'. fiyriiiK dift'ers by its broader build and particularly by tlie 

 occurence of spiral thi'eads within the fasciole. Subsequently, following a 

 reference by Deshayes,'' I called the species Tiirrin acuta. On reconsidera- 

 tion, the shell figured as acuta by Perry<5 seems to differ in shape from 

 T. tigrina, and to approacli that of iiemmnla yranosa Helbling. Defihayes 

 further suggested that VJenrotoiiia punctata of Schubert and Wagner might 

 be united to T. tiyrliin, but 1 should pi-efer to regard that as identical 

 with PJeurntoma imedo Kiener. 



U((t}. Queensland : — 30 fathoms, Darnley Island ; 14 fathoms. Princess 

 Charlotte Bay (Brazier) ; Murray Island; Starcke Kiver; Lizard Island; 

 Eagle Island; Cape Flattei-v ; Hojie Island; Palm Ishind ; M;ist Head 

 Reef (self). 



4 Blainville— Diet. Sci. Nat. Meth., xli.. 1826. p. 385. 

 "' Deshayes — Aniiii. sans. vert. (2), ix., ISt.S, p. 352. 

 « Perry— Conchdld^'y. I'^ll. I'l. liv., fi>4. 4. 



