126 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vol. XIV, 



Taia theobaldi (Kobelt). 



Plate XV, fig. 18 ; plate xvi, fig. 1 ; 



plate xviii, fig. 15-17. 



1909. Vivipara {naticoides var. ? ) theobaldi, Kobelt, Puludintii in Martin and 

 Chemnitz's Conch. Cab. (ed. Kiister), p. 151, pi. xxx, figs. 10, 11. 



Kobelt describes this species as follows : — 



" Testa exumbilicata, ovato-conica, tennis, liaud nitens, nnicolor fusco-olivacea 

 vel sub-nigricans subtiliter striatula, plerumque limo ferrugineo adhaerente induta, apice 

 nigricante. Spira conica, apice aouto, sutura parnm impressa. Anfractus 7, snperi 

 convexi, inferi supra planati et angulati, carinis spiralibus plus minusve distinctis 3 

 cincti, ultimus acute carinatus, carina versus aperturam distinctiore et subtuberculata, 

 utrinciue convexus, carinulis tribus superioribus, prima et secunda magis approximatis, 

 duabus inferis minoribus cinctus, antice dcscendens, basi irregulariter costato-sulcatus, 

 spirae altitudinem superans. Apertura parum obliqua, basi recendens, ovata, supra 

 acutiuscula, faucibus coerulescentibus, vix fasciatis ; peristoma callo anguste nigro- 

 marginato continuum, margine extemo vix incrassato, extus ad carinam angulato, colu- 

 mellari calloso, distincte duplici sed parum incrassato, albo, nigro-marginato. 

 Alt. 31-5, diam. 24, alt. apert. obi. 17, diam. 12 mm." 



I figure the radular teeth and operculum on pi. XVIII, figs. 16, 17. 

 The former are of a dark brown colour. 



The species on the whole is a constant one, but somewhat variable 

 in colour — partly owing to the fact that there is often a deposit 

 of some kind on the surface, and partly because the dark spiral bands 

 may be either present or absent. It is as a general rule smaller than 

 T. naticoides. The whorls are more separate and more swollen. The 

 spiral sculpture is never very prominent, and never includes well-defined 

 nodules, granules or scales. Two of the spiral ridges of the body-whorl 

 are usually more prominent than the others. An interesting feature 

 of the shell is that the columellar callus is not so well-developed as in 

 the other species of the genus, and the shell in consequence is almost 

 subumbilicate. The callus, however, has exactly the same general 

 structure as in T. naticoides and its allies. 



We found T. theobaldi living in abundance in small streams devoid 

 of vegetation both in the Inle plain and near Kalaw, 2,000 feet higher. 

 It is also common at the latter locality in a subfossil state in the soil, 

 and we obtained single specimens both from the superficial deposits 

 of the He-Ho plain and from the caves at Hsin-Dwang. 



Taia naticoides (Theobald). 



Plate XV, figs. 16, 17 ; plate xvi, figs. 3-6 ; 



plate xviii, figs. 1-3. 



1865. Paludina naticordes, Theobald, op. cit., p. 274, pi. ix, figs. 1-3. 



1876. VivijMra Shanenais, id., Cat. Land Fresh W. Shells, Brit. Ind. Moll., p. 14. 



1876. Paludina naticoides, Hanley and Theobald, op. cit., pi. Ixxvi, figs. 1, & 4. 



1884. Paludina naticoides, Nevill, op. cit., p. 25. 



1899. Vivipara naticoides (with var. obsolescense), von Martens, Wiegm. Arch. 



Naturg. LXV(l), p. 35, pi. iv, figs. 4, 5. 

 1909. Vivipara naticoides, Kobelt, op. cit., p. 149, pi. xxx, figs. 4-9. 

 1915. Vivipara naticoides, Preston, op. cit., p. 85. 



Kobelt gives the following Latin diagnosis of the species : — 



Testa exumbilicata, ovato-acuta, soli da, crassa, parum nitida, undique oblique cos- 

 tellato-striata, costellis confertis, regularibus, sculptura spirali obsoletissima, olivaceo 



^ Founded on an immature shell. 



