GASTEROPODA. 135 
vel quinque (totis duodecim ad quindecim) planulatis, obliquis : 
sutura impressa et marginata: apertura triangularis, valde effusa, 
postice sub-canaliculata ; regione columellart tumido ; columella planu- 
lata, acuta, alba: intus plumbea. 
Melania scipio, Goutp; Proceed. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 1. 224. 
June 1847. Expedition Shells, 45. 
Anima of a bright lemon-yellow above, beautifully lineated dark- 
green, concentrically above, and transversely on the proboscis, which is 
long, conical, bifid at tip; tentacles delicate, annulated; eyes small ; 
snout below much as above; foot beneath, pale flesh-colour, dotted 
cream-colour ; angles slightly developed, rounded behind, fringe of the 
mantle delicate. 
SHELL large and solid, smooth and shining, of an elongated, regularly 
lanceolate form; colour pitchy brown, becoming paler posteriorly, till 
in its young stages it is fawn-colour, and also gradually exhibiting 
dark, longitudinal flammules, so that the young are beautifully 
variegated with fawn and black, in nearly equal proportions. The 
surface is beautifully reticulated by fine lines of growth, and by very 
minute, close-set, revolving lines; on the largest whorl the former ap- 
proach to folds, and the latter are quite conspicuous about the base. 
The young, when fresh and uninjured, are found to be clothed with a 
delicate, velvety epidermis, a line of close-set hairs corresponding to 
each of the revolving strie. ‘There are about four or five whorls 
usually remaining in the adult state, though there are as many as 
twelve or fifteen im the whole growth; they are very oblique, scarcely 
convex, being in general continuous in outline with each other, though 
the suture is abrupt and has a shght contraction below it. The aper- 
ture is somewhat triangular, acute and contracted posteriorly ; the lip 
sweeps largely forwards, while at the columella the wall is deeply 
emarginate, not channeled, so as to be remarkably effuse: the colu- 
mellar region is very tumid. and the columella very much curved in 
front, flat, sharp, white. ‘The interior is leaden blue. 
Length in its usual state, an inch and a half, or three inches when 
entire ; breadth half an inch. 
Inhabits the Samoa and Feejee Islands. 
