230 ASTRALIUM. 



Var. GiRGYLLUS Reeve, 1861. PI. 55, fig. 65. 



" Very closely related to the preceding, but distinguished by a 

 more square form, while the scales are curiously expanded." 



{Reeve.) China. 



A. TURSicus Reeve, 1848. PI. 48, fig. 35. 



Shell somewhat pyramidally ovate, imperforated ; sutures of s\m'e 

 excavated ; whorls spirally squamately ridged, slanting around the 

 upper part, sharply angled, erectly squamate at the angle ; aperture 

 small ; yellowish, beautifully rayed with scarlet red. 



Alt. 22, diam. 22 mill. ' ' _ _ 



Philippine Is. 



Calcar turcicus (Rve.) Fischer is the same. 



Reeve's figure and description are copied above. Of this form 

 Mr. E. A. Smith says : 



This beautiful species is well characterized by its style of paint- 

 ing. It is whitish with broad scarlet rays, particularly distinct on 

 the sloping upper surfaces of the whorls; these are sometimes 

 edged with black posteriorly, and the suture is more or less stained 

 ■with that color. The lower part of the body-whorl is for the most 

 part scarlet with a few narrow white streaks (sometimes black-spot- 

 ted) radiating from the umbilicial region. The o])erculum is white, 

 thick, convex, and granose externally. (Zool. Coll. H. M. S. 

 'Alert: p. 504.) 



T. tursicus was collected by the ' Alert ' at Darros Island, one 

 of the Amirante group. I have copied on pi. 69, fig. 27, Mr. 

 Smith's figures. The species apparently is not a Bolma, but with- 

 out examining the shells and ascertaining the position of the 

 nucleus and nature of the whorls of the operculum, I am not able 

 to form an opinion as to its true position. 



Subgenus Cyclocantiia Swainson, 1840. 



Shell conic or depressed trochiform, usually im]>erforate ; whorls 

 above smooth, granulate or plicate ; periphery spiuose, tuberculate, 

 or with a ])rojccting flange ; base convex, flat, or concave, concen- 

 trically lirate ; columella with a more or less obvious tubercle at 

 the base ; operculum oval, convex outside, with a more or less 

 prominent curved central rib, its terminations connected or nearly 

 so by a straight short accessory rib. 



Indo-Pacific, Australo-Zealandie and Juj)0)iic Provinces. 



