VOLUTA. 



Species 12. (Mus. Cuming.) 

 V^OLUTA INTERPUNCTA. Vol. testd ovatd, cra-isd, spird 

 brevi, apice erecto, papillari, atifractibus duoius primk 

 papillamfomiantihics, tertio guarioque superne plicato- 

 nodulom, plieis yradatim evanidis, 'Jinterstitiis tratis- 

 vermi striatis, anfractibus cateris lavibns, mperm 

 tumidiuacuUs, interdum, autem raro, obsolete tubercu- 

 laiis, columella sex- ad octo-plicatd, plieis superioribus 

 parvis, quasi partitis, apertnrd longiuscidd, labro inlus 

 stibiticrassato, spiram versus decurrenle ; carneo-albi- 

 cante, pimctis lineaiibns castaneis imdiqne seriatim 

 cingulatd, strigis pnrpureo-bnmneis itderdum longitu- 

 dinaliter pictd, basi subanrantid. 

 The dotted Volute. SheU ovate, thick, spire short, apex 

 erect, papillary, first two whorls forming the papilla, 

 thu-d and fourth whorl plicately noduled, the folds 

 gradually vanishing, interstices transversely striated, 

 rest of the whorls smooth, rather swollen round the 

 upper part, sometimes, but rarely, obsoletely tuber- 

 cled, columella six- to eight-plaited, upper plaits 

 small, as if divided, aperture rather long, lip some- 

 what thickened within, running up a little towards 

 the spire; flesh-white, encu'cled throughout with 

 linear- chestnut dots, sometimes longitudinally painted 

 with purple-brown streaks, base tinged with orange. 

 Martyn, Universal Conchologist, vol. iv. pi. 127. 

 Voliita Indica, Sowerby. 

 Vohita Lapponica, Linnaeus, Lamarck. 

 Streaked variety. Valuta undata, Martyn. 

 Eab. Ceylon. 



I qmte agree with IMr. Sowerby in the propriety of 

 abandoning the name Lapponica given to this species, 

 indicating a country and climate in which such a mollusk 

 could not by any possibility exist. Instead of inhabiting 

 the arctic shores of Lapland, it is a native of the seas of 

 tropical India. The error did not, however, originate 

 with Linnaeus. The species was known before his time 

 to Dutch naturalists, as the ' Lappliooru ' or ' Lapp/iorei/,' 

 signifying the Flap-Ear or Dog's Ear Shell. This seems 

 to have been then corrupted into ' Ailee Lapo/zne,' ' ^Mata 

 Lapponica,' Voluta Lapponica, and Meuschen and Rum- 

 phius compounded the name, ' Lapland-sclie Lapplworn.' It 

 only remains a matter of wonder, that, whilst Seba descrilied 

 the species as an exotic sheU from India, the error should 

 have remained so long unexplained. 



Species 13. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Voluta fulgetrum. Vol. testd subfu-vfonni-oblongd, 

 tenuiculd, spird exsertd, apice papillari, anfractibus 

 duobiis vel tribus papillam amplam/urmardibus, cateris 

 minutissime striatis, ultimo labrum versus subangulato, 

 columella triplicatd ; hded vel rufescetde-aurantid, 

 strigis grandibus castaneis conspicui fulguratd, inter- 

 dum eximie reticulata et sparsim maculatd. 



The lightning-flash Volute. Shell somewhat fusi- 

 formly oblong, rather thin, spire exserted, papillary at 

 the apex, the first two or three whorls forming a 

 large papilla, the rest very minutely striated, last 

 whorl slightly angled towards the lip, columella 

 three-plaited ; yellow or reddish-orange, conspicu- 

 ously Lightning-marked with large chestnut streaks, 

 sometimes delicately reticulated and here ami there 

 spotted. 



Broderip, Zoological Journal, vol. ii. p. 35. Sowerby, 

 Tankerville Catalogue, pi. 1 and 5. 



Hab. South Australia. 



This fine species was first described by Mi-. Broderip 

 fi-om a specimen of rather large size in the celebrated 

 Tankerville collection, now in the British Museum. Since 

 tliat period, several specimens of smaller dimensions, but 

 more i-ichly marked, have been received from South 

 Australia. The painting is somewhat variable, being 

 sometimes represented by a fine net-work of dehcate 

 coloui'ing with only a few spots. The spire commences in 

 a large, rudely convoluted papQla, which is in no degree 

 concealed as the shell advances in growth. Another 

 pecidiarity of the species is, that the animal distributes a 

 copious deposit of enamel over the body-whorl, not 

 tliickened and callous, but of a thin semi-transparent 

 substance, and of a mUky aspect, by which the painting 

 is only partially obscured. 



Species 14. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Voluta rupestris. Vol. testd fusifunni, basi contractu, 

 apice papillari, anfractibus duobus primis papillam 

 eburneam formantibus, tertio quartoque transversim 

 impresso-striatis, longitudinaliter subplicato-costatis, 

 penultimo et idtimo subangjtlatis, costis fere evanidis, 

 obsolete nodosis, striis in sulcis sublilibus mutatii, 

 prcesertim versus basin, columelld octo-pUcald, pticlx 



November, 1819. 



