M E L A T M A . 



Plate I. 



Genus MELATOMA, Anthony. 

 Testa cylindraceo-ovata, solidiuscula, spird brevi, nunc ex- 

 it rid, nunc subimmersd, anfractibus quinque ad sex, 

 plerumque spiraliter liratis, raro lavibus, aperturd 

 ovat.ri, superne fissuratd. Operculum corneum. 

 Shell cylindrically ovate, rather solid, spire short, some- 

 times exserted, sometimes rather immersed, whorls five 

 to six, generally spirally ridged, rarely smooth, aper- 

 ture ovate, slit at the upper part. Operculum homy. 

 Under this head is associated a group of Melaniadee, 

 closely allied to Anculotus, but distinguished by the pre- 

 sence of a slit at the junction of the lip with the body- 

 whorl, which is rarely superficial, and in some species is 

 singularly deeply cut. They are restricted to a very con- 

 fined locality in Alabama, all the species but one being re- 

 corded by Mr. Lea as collected by Dr. Eudd at Tusca- 

 loosa, iu that State. 



The genus was founded by Mr. Lea with the name 

 Schizostoma, but that title having been used by Professor 

 Brown for a fossil genus of shells ; it was altered by Mr. 

 Anthonv to Melatoma. 



Species 1. (Fig. a, b, Mus. Cuming.) 

 Melatoma pagoda. Mel. testa ovatd, fulvo-brunned, 



anfractibus quinque ad sex, convexis, spiraliter liratis, 



/iris nunc obsoletis, nunc prominente carinatis; aper- 



turd parviusculd, fissurd subprofundd. 

 The pagoda Melatoma. Shell ovate, fulvous-brown, 



whorls five to six, convex, spirally ridged, ridges 



sometimes obsolete, sometimes prominently keeled ; 



aperture rather small, slit rather deep. 

 Schizostoma pagoda, Lea, Trans. American Phil. Soc. vol. 



x. pi. 9. f. 52 and 55. 



Schizostoma constriction. 

 Hah. Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States, Dr. Budd. 



Of a uniform smooth fulvous-brown, variously spirally 

 ridged. The typical state of the species is to have the 

 ridges so prominently developed as to take the form of 

 ring-like keels. Mr. Lea's Schizostoma constrictum is M. 

 pagoda, with the ridges almost obsolete, absorbed in the 

 larger growth of the shell. 



Species 2. (Mus. Cuming.) 

 Melatoma excisum. Mel. testa ovatd, plus minus globosd, 



fkeoescente, areo-viridi fasciatd, anfractibus convexis, 

 undique spiraliter carinato-liratis, lira supremd inter- 

 dum tumidd, prominentiore ; aperturd paroiusculd 



fissurd profundissimd. 



The excised Melatoma. Shell ovate, more or less 

 globose, yellowish, banded with brown-green, whorls 

 convex, spirally keel-ridged throughout, uppermost 

 keel sometimes swollen and more prominent ; aper- 

 ture rather small, slit very deep. 



Melania excisa, Lea, Trans. American Phil. Soc. 1842. 

 Schizostoma ovoideum, Shuttleworth. 



Hub. Alabama, United States. 



Of a characteristic bronze colouring, encircled through- 

 out with ring-like ridges, with the slit deeper cut than in 

 any other species of the genus. Mr. Shuttleworth's Schi- 

 zostoma ovoideum is a more obese form of the species, with 

 t lie uppermost ridge of the whorls swollen into a keel as 

 in the more typical varieties of the preceding species. 



Species 3. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Melatoma Buddii. Mel. testa obeso-ovatd, fuho-hrun- 

 ned, anfractibus quinque, declim-convexis, undique spi- 

 raliter liratis, liris distant ilius ; aperturd ovatd, ad 

 basin subeffusd, fissure parvd, fere obsoletd. 



Hudd's Melatoma. Shell stoutly ovate, fulvous-brown, 

 whorls five, slopiugly convex, spirally ridged through- 

 out, ridges distant ; aperture ovate, slightly effused 

 at the base, fissure small, almost obsolete. 



Schizostoma Buddii, Lea, Trans. American Phil. Soc. vol. 

 x. pi. 9. f. 53. 



[lab. Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Dr. Budd. 



A robust shell, encircled with ridges which are chieflv 

 characteristic iu being rather distant from each other. 

 The slit in the only specimen I have seen is quite super- 

 ficial. 



Species 4. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Melatoma incisum. Mel. testa abbreviato-ovatd, sub- 

 ci/liudraced, J/acesceute, purpureo-viridi fasciatd, spird 

 subimmersd, anfractibus plano-convexis, superne' obtuso- 

 rotundatis ; aperturd ovatd, fissurd mediocri. 



I in; incised Melatoma. Shell shortly ovate, some- 

 what cylindrical, yellowish, banded with purple-green, 

 spire rather immersed, whorls flatly convex, bluntly 



March, 1560. 



