SC ARABUS. 



Plate I. 



Genus SCARABUS, Be Monlford. 



Testa ovafa, solidiuscula,fulcescen/e-alba, castaneo aut pur- 

 pureo-castaneo nebuloso-maculata aut fasciata, spirit 

 plus minus obtuse pxjramidali, anfractibus septem ad 

 decern, convexis, superne plicalo-ruqatis, utrin/jue ap- 

 presso-varicosis, varicibus plerumque albis, anfractu 

 ultimo interdum late abruple angulato ; aperlurd nunc 

 rotundato- nunc subquadrato-ovatd, utrinque valii/is- 

 sime dentatd, dentibus columellaribus trihus, rudibus, 

 sape coutortis, dentibus oppositis trihus, minus irre- 

 (jularibus, minoribus intervenientibus, labro conspicue 

 concavo-effuso. 



Shell ovate, rather solid, fulvous-white, nebulously spotted 

 or banded with chestnut or purple-chestnut, spire 

 more or less obtusely pyramidal, whorls seven to ten, 

 convex, plicately wrinkled round the upper part, ap- 

 pressly varicose on each side, varices mostly white, 

 last whorl sometimes broadly abruptly angled ; aper- 

 ture now rotundately, now somewhat squarely ovate, 

 very strongly toothed on both sides, coluraellar teeth 

 three, rude, often twisted, opposite teeth three, less 

 irregular, with smaller teeth intervening, lip conspi- 

 cuously coneavely effused. 



The genus Scarabus is founded on the well-known Helix 

 scarabmus of Linnfeus, a characteristic form of land snail, 

 of which nearly thirty species have been now collected. 

 They are peculiar to the islands of the Eastern and Aus- 

 tralian Archipelagoes, and inhabit dense woods in damp 

 places, the animal partaking more of the nature of Auri- 

 cula than of Helix. The generic peculiarities of Scarabus 

 are remarkably uniform. The shell is formed ou the plan 

 of a compact closely convoluted oval, of from seven to ten 

 whorls, rising into a more or less obtuse pyramid, and it 

 is distinguished by two rather conspicuously developed 

 features ; one is, that a row of flattened varices is formed 

 down each side of the shell, and the other consists in the 

 aperture being almost closed in with strong wart-like 

 teeth. The Scarabi are also distinguished by a great uni- 

 formity of colour, fulvous-white, mottled with chestnut, 

 which passes, in some instances, into purple bands. They 

 have no representative types in the new world, unless it 

 be in the Brazilian Helices and Bulimi with toothed aper- 

 tures, but in the shells of those there are no varices. The 

 Scarabi leave the upper extremity of the marginal lip rest- 

 ing on the body-whorl at every half turn, like the Ranella, 



but it is only a flattened deposit. None of the species 

 show any rudiments of fronds or spines. 



Species 1. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Scarabus Celf.bensis. Scar, testa subpyramidali-ovatd, 

 fulvo-castaned, varicibus fulro-luteis, anfractibus no- 

 vem ad decern., laviusculis ; aperturd ovald, livido- 

 fulvd. 

 The Celebes Scarabus. Shell somewhat pyramidally 

 ovate, fulvous-chestnut, varices fulvous-yellow, whorls 

 nine to ten, rather smooth ; aperture ovate, livid- 

 fulvous. 

 Pythia Celebensis, Pfeiffer, Pro. Zool. Soc. 1854, p. '299. 

 Hab. Celebes. . 



Comparatively smooth, and of a uniform fulvous-chest- 

 nut colour, with the aperture peculiarly livid. 



Species 2. (Fig. a, b, Mus. Cuming.) 



Scarabus lekithostoma. Scar, testa subabbreviato- 

 ovatd, albidd, castaneo maculatd et nebulatd, interdum 

 omwiuo fulvo-castaned, varicibus albis, anfractibus sep- 

 tem ad octo, htcibus ; aperturd ovatd, conspicue luteo- 

 rufd. 



The yolk-mouth Scarabus. Shell rather shortly ovate 

 whitish, blotched and clouded with chestnut, some- 

 times altogether fulvous-chestnut, varices white, 

 whorls seven to eight, smooth ; aperture ovate, con- 

 spicuously yellow-ribbed. 



Reeve, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1842, vol. ix. p. 220. 



Hab. ? 



Conspicuously distinguished by the aperture being 



stained with yellow-red, resembling the yolk of an egg in 



colour. 



Species 3. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Scarabus castaneus. Scar, testa ovatd, supra intense 

 castaned, infra albidd, castaneo promiscue marmoratd, 

 varicibus parvis, albis, anfractibus octo ad novem, Ia- 

 mbus .■ aperlurd ovatd, sordide alba. 



The chestnut Scarabus. Shell ovate, dark chestnut 

 at the upper part, whitish below, promiscuously mar- 

 bled with chestnut, varices small, white, whorls eight 

 to nine, smooth ; aperture ovate, dull-white. 



Lesson, Zool. Voy. de la Coquille, p. 336. pi. 10. f. 7. 



November, 1860. 



