NASSA. 



Plate I. 



Genus NASSA, Lamarck. 



Teda ovato-coiiica, phis minus turrita, in siituni profmidum 

 aut caualem irevissimuui reflexum desineus ; spird sape 

 canaliculaid ; anfractibus plerumque lovgitudinaUter 

 Uratis aut costellatis, scepe traiisversim sulcatis ; aper- 

 turd subquadj'ato-orbiculari, columdld callositate nunc 

 tenue expansd, nunc crassissinid et ferampld, inttrdnm 

 usque ad apicem repandd, labro plerumque dmliculato, 

 fauce I'lraid. Operculum parcum, corneum. 

 Shell ovately conical, more or less tm-reted, ending in a 

 deep sinus or very short recurved canal ; spire often 

 channelled ; whorls generally longitudinally ridged 

 or thin-ribbed, often transversely grooved ; aperture 

 somewhat squarely orbicular, columella witli a callo- 

 sity, now thinly expanded, now very thick and large, 

 spread sometimes to the apex, lip generally denticu- 

 lated, interior ridged. Opercidum small, horny. 

 The Nassfe are a group of the Linna?an Bncc'ma, mostly 

 small, presenting a great diversity of sculpture, but little 

 variety of form or colour. They are nearly all of solid 

 growth, and are characterized, with few exceptions, by a 

 peculiar callous development next the aperture, which 

 varies according to the species. Proceeding from the 

 columella, it appears in some as a short lamina, while in 

 others it is thickly enamelled, and spread so as to reach 

 nearly to the apex. Some exceUeut subgenera have been 

 proposed for these typical differences. M. Kiener de- 

 scribed several new species under the head of Buccinum, 

 in addition to those of Lamarck ; some few have been 

 described by M. Deshayes, Mr. Say, Mr. Hinds, and Mr. 

 Powis, and the list was considerably augmented about a 

 year and a half since by the describing, by Mr. Arthur 

 Adams, of the new species in ilr. Cuming's collection. 

 They are chiefly inhabitants of the Eastern Seas. 



Species 1. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Nassa hirta. Nass. testa ovato-couicd, subtnrritd, rufes- 

 cente, fa^ciis fmcescentibus cingulatd ; spird acuta, cos- 

 tulis eminentibus coronatd, in atifractu ultimo atate 

 evanescentibus ; aperturd albd, subrotundatd, emargi- 

 natd, siiperne augmtatd ; labro crasso, e.vtus margiiiato. 



The rough Nassa. Shell ovately conical, subturreted, 

 reddish, encircled with brownish bands ; spire sharp, 

 coronated with conspicuous ribs, fading away in the 



last whorl with age ; aperture white, somewhat 



rounded, emarginated, narrowed at the upper part ; 



lip thick, margined externally. 

 Buccinum Mrtum, Kiener, Icon. coq. vivantes, p. 63. pi. 



19. f. 72. 

 Eab. Swan River, New Holland ; Lieut. Preston. 



A very elegantly coronated species, with the spire rising 

 into a sharp turret. 



Species 2. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Nassa crenulata. Nass. testa ovato-couicd, subturritd, 

 fasciis cinereo-fuscis obscure plctd ; spird acuta, ca- 

 naliculatd, costulis plicaformibas tenuicorouatd, in 

 anfractu ultimo evanescentibus ; aperturd ovatd, albes- 

 cente, superm emarginatd, labro acuto, basin versus 

 creiiulato, fauce sulcatd. 



The crenulated Nassa. Shell ovately conical, sub- 

 turreted, obscurely painted with light ash-browu 

 bands ; spire sharp, cliannelled, finely coronated witli 

 small plait-like ribs, fading in the last whorl ; aper- 

 ture ovate, whitish, emarginated at the upper part, 

 lip sharp, crenulated towards the base, interior grooved. 



Buccinum crenulatum,, Bmgiiiere, Eucyclopcdie Metho- 

 dique, pi. 394. f. 6. 



Hab. PhiUppine Islands ; Cuming. 



More finely plicately ribbed than the preceding species, 

 while the lip has a conspicuously crenulated edge. 



Species 3. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Nassa seminodosa. Nass. testdovato-conicd, acuminata, 

 Icevi, mtidd,fulvo-fuscescente; suturd tuberculis inoni- 

 liformibus ornatd ; longitudinaUter plicatd, plicis su- 

 perne subnodulosis ; atifractu ultimo antice transversim 

 sulcata; colmnelld Icevi, cum callo tenui expanso ob- 

 tecto, labro antice dentato, intus sulcato. 



The seminodose Nassa. Shell ovately conical, acumi- 

 nated, smooth, shining, fulvous brown ; suture orna- 

 mented with necklace-like tubercles; longitudinally 

 plaited, plaits subnodose at the upper part ; last 

 whorl transversely grooved in front; columella smooth, 

 covered with a thin expanded callosity, lip toothed in 

 front, grooved within. 



A. Adams, Pro. Zool. Soc. 1851. 



Hab. Island of Annaa, South Seas (on the reefs) ; Cuming. 



November, 1853. 



