BY W. L. MAY. 83 



It was described without a locality, but in the Museum we 

 have other specimens from Brisbane, Queensland. All the 

 examples are larger than any you have sent, the type 

 being 8 mill, in length. Your largest is only 6J mill. 

 None of our shells have any signs of denticulation within 

 the outer lip, which is quite smooth. The form of the 

 shell and basal plica? are similar in both. The only differ- 

 ence, therefore, is that of size and smoothness, or denticula- 

 tion of the labrum. 



M. pisum, Reeve, is a minute form, 3mill. long, and 

 different in shape. It is shorter, and more globular; 

 plica?, four in number, and the outer lip is smooth within, 

 not denticulate. The form is quite different to the shells 

 you sent as M. ovulum. 



It seems to me that your shells should be regarded as a 

 variety of ovulum, and not as distinct. The smaller size 

 and denticulation, which is variable, is not enough, I 

 think, to separate them." 



I now have Tasmanian specimens quite as large as the 

 type, and, like it, smooth on the lip. It seems to be the 

 most universally distributed species on our continental 

 shelf, being invariably present in dredgings. 



TARANIS ACULEATA, N. Sp. 



Shell small, broadly fusiform, yellowish brown, whorls 

 five, including a prominent two-whorled protoconch, which 

 is finely spirally lirate. Adult whorls strongly angled 

 about the upper third by a prominent spiral keel, which 

 bears at regular intervals well developed spinose nodules, 

 about 10 on the body whorl ; above to the suture the whorl 

 is concavely hollowed, with a finely nodulous keel. Below 

 the carina are two prominent keels, bearing numerous 

 sharp nodules, connected somewhat irregularly above and 

 below, with axial riblets. On the base are about seven 

 keels, the first two slightly nodose, the rest smooth. The 

 three prominent keels give the whorls a square appearance. 

 Aperture rather expanded, canal short and open, columella 

 concave, corrugated by the basal keels, which pass into the 

 shell. Outer lip armed by four spines, alternating large 

 and small ; sinus sutural, deep and narrow, bounded on 

 one side by the sutural lira?, and on the other by the finely 

 nodulous keel. 



Length 3. Breadth 1.8 mill. 



Type from 50 fathoms, off Thouin Bay, with eight others. 

 A very beautiful and distinct little species, with affinities 

 to T. lamellosa, Sowb. 



PI. I., fig. 1. • 



