86 



VOLUTA FUSIFORMIS. Swainson. 



Var. Micro-papiUosa. 



By C. E. Beddome. 



Bead May 28th, 1896. 



Shell fusiform ovately-elongate, somewliat solid, contracted, 

 and distinctly emarginate at the base ; spire very short, only 

 about one-fourth the length of body whorl ; somewhat accu- 

 minate and minutely papillary at the apex ; whorls uniformly 

 gently rounded or swollen, smooth, minutely decussately 

 striated under the lens : columella with three very oblique 

 moderately conspicuous plaits ; aperture rather narrowly 

 elliptical ; lip markedly thickened and sub-reflexed, very 

 much compressed over very narrowly receding posterior 

 canal ; colour brownish white, reticulated with light chestnut 

 triangularly configured lines as in V. fusiformis, columella 

 and interior of the aperture uniformly orange-carnelia. 



This shell, taken from the Derwent by Mr. Frank Rush, 

 fisherman, forms an interesting link between V. fusiformis, 

 Sw., and V. jpapillaris, Sw., although it is scarcely separable 

 from the former species, of which it may be regarded as an 

 extremely aberrant variety. It approaches close to F. papiU 

 laris, Sw., in the extremely short spire, in solidity, and in the 

 thickened lip and compressed posterior margin. In all other 

 characters it agrees exactly with Voluta fusiformis, Sw. 



Length of spire, liin.; length of body whorl, 4i|^in.; total 

 length, 5^in. Greatest breadth, 2Jin. The following rela- 

 tive measurements of the three allied forms give a more 

 definite idea of the respective proportions of spire, body 

 whorl, and breadth, in relation to length, regarded in each 

 case as 100 : — 



The type s^jecies is in C. E. Beddome' s collection. The 

 beautiful drawings of the shell have been made for me by 

 W. L. May, Esq., of Sandford, Tasmania. 



