CAPE-VERDE GROUP. 493 



Habitat S. Vicente, S. Nicolao, et (' var. /3. minor) S. Antao ; 

 a cl. Dohrn a 2000' usque ad 4000' s.m. deprehensa. 



I do not feel altogether certain that this species should be 

 regarded as a Patula ; nevertheless since at all events the 

 H. Bertholdiana, Pfr., is, I think, an undoubted member of 

 that group, and there is an intermediate form between the two 

 (treated by Dohrn as a 'var. minor^ of the gorgonarum) which 

 might well-nigh be affiliated with either of them, I am content 

 to leave it in the position (as regards its supposed affinities) in 

 which it has already been placed.' 



The P. gorgonarum (the larger examples of which are, in 

 their broadest part, about 4i lines across) may be defined as 

 being a somewhat lenticular shell, rather sharply keeled, and 

 fragile in substance, of a pale-brown hue, but more or less 

 marbled (particularly on the underside) with a few small, 

 obscure, and irregular whitish blotches, and having the volu- 

 tions densely sculptured with very oblique and waved transverse 

 lines or costae. Its umbilicus, although deep, is not very large, 

 and is partially concealed by the recurved overhanging edge of 

 the columellary plate. It was taken in S. Vicente and S. 

 Nicolao by Dr. H. Dohrn, who kindly communicated the types 

 which are now before me. 



There is however a smaller shell which was obtained by 

 Dolirn in S. Antao, and which is less strongly keeled and not 

 quite so pallid in hue, and which is cited by him as a ' var. 

 minor ' of the P. gorgonarum ; though I cannot but think 

 that it ought to be treated as specifically distinct. In general 

 size and contour it is nearly identical with the P. Bertholdiana, 

 Pfr. ; nevertheless its rather smaller umbilicus, which is also 

 partially overhung by the columellary edge of the peristome, 

 would assign it better (as indeed Dohrn has done) to the P. 

 gorgonarum. It is perhaps more closely related still to the 

 H. Bouvieri of Morelet, — from which it differs almost solely (if 

 indeed I understand the latter species aright) in its under- 



' At first sight the P. gorgonarum has so strong a resemblance (in its 

 keeled outline, as well as in its general size, contour, sculpture, and hue) to 

 the H. actinojjJun-a of the Madeiran archipelago that it is difficult to believe 

 that it should not rather be assigned to one of the sections (such as Gonostoma 

 and Hispidella) which embraces that species and its immediate allies. Apart 

 however from its surface having no tendency, so far as I can detect, to be 

 hispid, the different structure of its aperture will suffice to separate it from 

 those particular forms. However its suggest iveness of the latter is certainly 

 not much strengthened by the fact that Morelet in enunciating lately his 

 very closely allied H. Bouvieri, compares that species with the H. hisjnda, 

 Linn., (which is altogether distinct from the actinophora). Moreover Dohrn 

 speaks of the nearly-related II. Bertholdiana, Pfr., jp/iich he neverthelesg 

 acknowledges as a Patula, as having a decided affinity with the Madeiran M. 

 Armitageana, Lowe, which belongs to Mr. Lowe's group IHs])idella- ; an 

 affinit}', however, which seems to mc to be somewhat more questionable. 



