MELANOPSIS. 



Plate II. 



Species 4. (Fig. a to h, Mus. Cuming.) 



Melanopsis cariosa. Mel. testa ovato-oblongd, solidu, 

 castaned ant luted, aid luted purpnreo-castaneo fas- 

 ciatd, spird nunc brevi, nunc productd, (infract ib us 

 septem, superne angulatis, el interdum rude carinatis, 

 longitudinaliter valide corrugato-costatis, coslis ad un- 

 guium nodosis ; aperturd parviusculd, columella su- 

 perne callosd, medio calloso-excavatd. 

 The worm-eaten Melanopsis. Shell ovately oblong, 

 solid, chestnut or yellow, or yellow banded with 

 purple-chestnut, spire sometimes short, sometimes 

 produced, whorls seven, angled and sometimes rudely 

 keeled round the upper part, longitudinally strongly 

 wrinkle-ribbed, ribs noduled at the angle; aperture 

 rather small, columella callous at the upper part, cal- 

 lously excavated in the middle. 

 Murex cariosns, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. p. 1220. 

 Buccina Maroccana, pars, Chemnitz. 

 Melanopsis costata, Ferussac. 

 Melanopsis costella/a, Ferussac. 

 Melanopsis Jordan ica, Both. 

 Hah. Spain. 



As in the case of M. Bnfourii, from the same locality, 

 this is an extremely variable species. In Fig. 1 a the 

 shell has a short Ci/llene-hke form, and is of a pale-yellow- 

 ish colour. In Fig. 1 b, c, and 1 d, e, the shell is of the 

 same colour, that is to say, white, with a yellowish-horny 

 epidermis ; but in one it has a conically produced spire, 

 while in the other the spire is short, and the longitudinal 

 ribs are pushed by its immersion into a swollen keel. In 

 Fig. 1 /, g, the shell is conspicuously banded with purple- 



brown ; and in Fig. 1 //, it is slenderly pyramidal, and of 

 a uniform dark-chestnut. All these varieties it is neces- 

 sary to study in order to understand the species. 



Species 5. (Fig. a, b, Mus. Cuming.) 



Melanopsis Parreyssii. Mel. testa oblongd, subturritd, 

 tenuiculd, albidd, fascia rufi angustd medio cingulatd. 

 anfractibus sex ad septem, superne subangulatis, longi- 

 tudinaliter costatis, coslis ad unguium obtuse nodulatis, 

 inferue evanidis : aperturd ovatd, parviusculd, colu- 

 mella modice callosd, supra el infra rufo timid. 



I'arreyss's Melanopsis. Shell oblong, subturreted, ra- 

 ther thin, whitish, encircled round the middle with a 

 narrow red band, whorls six to seven, slightly angled 

 at the upper part, longitudinally ribbed, ribs obtusely 

 noduled at the angle, fading away below ; aperture 

 ovate, rather small, columella moderately callous, 

 stained with red above and below. 



Von dem Bcsch, Pliilippi, Abbild. und Besch. Conch, 

 vol. ii. p. 376. pi. i. f. 15. 



Hab. Senegal. Hungary ; Parreyss. 



A shell of much lighter substance than the preceding 

 species, and of more regular growth. Bound the middle 

 of the last whorl it is encircled by a characteristic narrow 

 red band ; and the columella, which has no particular cal- 

 losity on the upper part, is stained above and at the base 

 with the same colour. Dr. Von dem Busch, on the autho- 

 rity of Parreyss, quotes Hungary as its habitat. Mr. 

 Cuming's specimen is from Senegal. 



February, 1860. 



