M E L A N I A 



Plate III. 



Species 9. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Melania eerrea. Mel. testa angustd, fusco-nigrd, ad 

 suturas fuscescente, anfractibus convexis, superne sub- 

 excavatis, undique tenue decussatini siriatis, sutwris 

 submarginatis ; ajierturd oblongo-ovatd. 



The iron Melania. Shell narrow, fuscous-black, 

 brownish at the sutures, whorls convex, moderately 

 excavated round the upper part, finely decussately 

 striated throughout, sutures slightly margined ; aper- 

 ture oblong-ovate. 



Itab. Borneo ; Grand Bassain, West Africa. 



A smooth, decussately striated, fuscous shell, characte- 

 ristically blending into a lighter brown at the sutural mar- 

 gin of the whorls, below which there is a slight excavation. 

 Mi-. Cuming's specimens from the two localities above 

 named are unquestionably the same species. 



Species 10. (Fig. a, Mus. Cuming; b, Mus. V. d. Busch.) 



Melania corrugata. Met. testa acute tnrritd, vires- 

 ceute-olivaced, fascia casta ned supra suturas, anfracti- 

 bus novem ad decern, superne excavatis, delude acute 

 plicato-iiodosis et concentrice corrugatls, avfractus 

 ultlmi parte inferiori spiraliter costatd; aperturd 

 ovatd, ad basin productd. 



The wrinkled Melania. Shell sharply turreted, 

 greenish-olive, with a chestnut band above the su- 

 tures, whorls nine to ten, excavated round the upper 

 part, then sharply plicately noduled and concentri- 

 cally wrinkled, lower part of last whorl spirally 

 ridged ; aperture ovate, produced at the base. 



Lamarck, Anim. sans vert. vol. viii. p. -130. 

 Melania raricosa, Troschel. 



Hab. India, Java. 



Tt is not often that more importance can be attached to 

 colour than to sculpture, but in this species there is con- 

 stantly an olive-chestnut band above the suture, whilst the 

 ribs and tubercles are much more prominently and thickly 

 developed in some specimens than in others, and some- 

 times they almost disappear. The shell is rather more nar- 

 rowly and sharply convoluted than is usual with species of 

 this type, and hence the ribs have a more crowded appear- 

 ance towards the apex. 



Species 11. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Melania polyg-onata. Mel. testa conico-turritd, soli- 

 diusculd, luteo-olivaced, anfractibus octo ad novem, su- 

 perne excavato-declivibus, juxta suturas spiraliter /<■- 

 nuiliratis, medio angulatis et valide tuberculatis, tu- 

 berculis subdistantibus, anfractus ultind parte infe- 

 riori spiraliter liratd ; aperturd oblongo-ovatd ad ba- 

 sin productd et effusd. 



The many-angled Melania. Shell conically turreted, 

 rather solid, yellowish-olive, whorls eight to nine, ex- 

 cavately slanting round the upper part, spirally finely 

 ridged next the sutures, angled and strongly plicately 

 tubercled in the middle, tubercles somewhat distant, 

 lower part of the last whorl spirally ridged ; aperture 

 oblong-ovate, produced and effused at the base. 



Lea, Pro. Zool. Soc. 1850, p. 195. 



Hab. Copan, Central America. 



A fine conically turreted species, with the whorls pecu- 

 liarly sloping round the upper half to a bold prominently 

 tubercled periphery. This pent-like sloping of the whorls 

 gives to the shell, which is of very solid growth, a rather 

 sharply conical form. The epidermis has a characteristic 

 yellowish hue. 



Species 12. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Melania episcopalis. Mel. testa turritd, solidiuscidd, 

 luteo-olivaced, anfractibus convexis, superne subexcava- 

 tis, deinde conspicue angntato-plicatis, plicis subdistan- 

 tibus pecu/iariler oblique appressis, versus aperturam 

 subobsoletis ; aperturd ovatd, ad basin subproducld. 



The episcopal Melania. Shell turreted, rather solid, 

 yellowish -olive, whorls convex, slightly excavated 

 round the upper part, then conspicuously angularly 

 plicated, plaits rather distant, peculiarly obliquely 

 appressed, somewhat obsolete towards the aperture ; 

 aperture ovate, slightly produced at the base. 



Lea, Pro. Zool. Soc. 1850, p. 184. 



Hab. Malacca (in a sluggish river) ; Cuming. 



The shell here figured is not one of the four specimens 

 mentioned by Mr. Lea as having been sent to him by .Mr. 

 Cuming, but one of larger and bolder growth, of which the 

 actual habitat is not known. All the specimens are charac- 

 terized by a peculiar pressing down of the ribs on one side. 



November, 1859. 



