V E R T A G U S. 



Plate I. 



Genus VERTAGUS, Klein. 



Testa marina, turritii, irregidariler varicosa, longitudinaU- 

 ter pUcata, seu tuberculata ; anfractihm numerons, 

 gradatim cresceidibits, aperliird superne in caualem 

 contracld, columella nonnunquam intus plicatd, mar- 

 ffine tumido, postice calloso, canali relrorm ; operculo 

 corneo, ovali, paucispirali. 



Shell marine, turreted, irregularh' varicose, longitudinally 

 plicated or tuberculated ; whorls numerous, gradu- 

 ally increasing ; aperture contracted above into a 

 canal, columella sometimes plaited within, margin 

 tumid, callous at the back, canal bent backwards ; 

 operculum horny, oval, with few whorls. 



The shells of this genus are not essentially different from 

 true Cerilhia, the plait on the inner part of the columella 

 appearing only in some of the species. The canaliferous 

 tube being bent over the back is the principal distinguish- 

 ing character. Of the twenty-six species here described, 

 four or five only are new since the monograph by Sowerby. 

 Like the Cerilhia, their geographical distribution is very 

 wide, — China, Australia, Sandwich Islands, Borneo, the 

 PhOippines, Panama, and other places, being represented 

 by sheUs included in this small number of species. 



Species 1. (Fig. a, b, Mus. Cuming.) 



Vektagus cedo-nulli. Fer. tedd breviuscidd, medio 

 ventricosil, albidd vel grised,fusco seu nigro mactdatd, 

 spiraliter striata el nodulis moiiiliformibns seriatim 

 cinctd ; anfractibus subventricosis, prope angulmn tu- 

 bercidis magnis, valid!' extantibus coronatis ; aperturd 

 breviuscidd, columella crassd, obliqnd, intns biplicatd, 

 canali valide recurvo, labro crenidalo. 



The invincible Vertagus. Shell rather short, ven- 

 tricose in the middle, white or grey, spotted with 

 brown or black, spirally striated and girt with bead- 

 like nodules in rows ; whorls rather ventricose, coro- 

 nated near the suture with large, prominent tubercles ; 

 aperture leather short, columella thick, oblique, with 

 two inner plaits, canal strongly recurved, outer lip 

 crenulated. 



Sowerby, Thes. Conch. Cerithium, sp. 14. f. 38, 39, 40. 



Hah. Borneo; Lieut. Tayler, K.N. 



Besides the proportionate shortness of the shells of this 

 species, and their less pyramidal form as compared with 

 V. obeUscus, they differ in the peculiar sharpness of their 

 sculpture. 



Species 2. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Vektagus MACULOSUS. Ver. testd, muynn, soUdd, alba, 

 muculis et slrigis fuscis varieyatd, sjnraVder sulcis du- 

 plicutis subdistantibus cinctd; anfractibus superioribus 

 distauter valide plicatis, inferiuribus inter snlcos nodu- 

 losis ; aperturd magna, siibquadrald, labro expaiiso, 

 elevato, laqueato, antice subdenticulato, canali elovgato, 

 labio colmnellari expanse. 



The spotted Vertagus. Shell large, solid, white, va- 

 riegated with brown spots and stripes, spirally girt 

 with rather distant ribs in pairs ; the upper whorls 

 distantly and strongly plaited, the lower ones with 

 nodules between the sulci; aperture large, rather 

 square, outer lip expanded, raised, Huted, rather tlen- 

 ticulated in front, canal long, outer lip expanded. 



Maktyn {C'lava macidosa), Univ. Conch, p. 57. 

 Cerithi/im clava, Bruguiere. 

 CerilJdum marmoremn, Kiener. 



Hab. Galapagos Islands. 



With the exception of Telescopiam lave, this is the 

 largest of the recent Cerithiadee. The upper whorls are 

 characterized by rather distant, solid ribs, and in the 

 lower ones these ribs arc broken up into nodules on the 

 interstices of the sulci. 



Species 8. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Vertagus aluco. Fer. testa solidd, medio ventricosn, 

 sublavigatd, rubescetdi maculis castaneis vel nigrescen- 

 tibus, aliis parvis aliis magnis, variegatd ; anfractibus 

 supremis angulalis cancellatis, medianis superue sub- 

 angulatis, ad angulum tubercuUs magnis, distantibus, 

 subai-cuatis, elevatis, armatis, ultimo subcomplanato, 

 lateraliter tumido; aperturd subovali, productd, ex- 

 pansd, labro arcuato, super columellum producto, ca- 

 nali elougato. 



The owl Vertagus. Shell solid, ventricose in the 

 middle, rather smooth, reddish, varied with chestnut 



March, 1866. 



