114 Records of the Indian M iisciiui. [Vol. XXII, 



The muscle-scar for the anterior adductor muscle is somewhat 

 pressed in below the anterior lateral tooth and is fairly deeply 

 impressed, while that of posterior adductor is quite shallow. The 

 palleal line shows a distinct though poorly developed sinus in its 

 course very near its origin from the posterior adductor impression. 



Sofi parts. — A detailed description of the soft parts is given 

 further on; the following characters may, however, be noted: — 

 animal with the mantle having a regular row of finger-shaped 

 papillae on its inner surface slightly internal to the edge ; two 

 siphons of moderate size, the anal much the shorter; siphonal 

 orifices papillose ; foot triangular, acutely pointed at the apex, 

 rather large but not very muscular ; gills of unequal size, inner 

 much broader; palpi triangular, elongate. 



As a result of a careful study of the large collection before 

 me I am unable to recognize V. cochinensis , V. parvida and V . 

 delicatula as species distinct from V. cyprinoides. Both V . cochin- 

 ensis and V. delicatula, however, are sufficiently characterized to 

 be designated as distinct varieties, while V. parvula, from its 

 meagre description of the unique type of Prime, appears to be 

 only based on young shells of V. cyprinoides. I also take this 

 opportunity to describe a very characteristic new species from 

 Travancore under the name V. cornucopia. 



Villorita cyprinoides (Gray). 



Plate XV, figs. 1—4. 



1SJ5. Cyi-ena cyprinoides. Gray, op. cit., p. 136. 



1S28. Venus cyprinoides. Wood, op. cit., pi. ii, fig. 14. 



1834. Villorita cyprinoides, Griffith and Pidgeon, op. cit., pi. xxxi, 



^^- 5- . . 



1854. Velorita cyprinoides, Deshayes, op. cit., pp. 240. 241. 



1870. Velorita cyprinoides. Prime, op. cit., p. 14T. 



1878. Velorita cyprinoides, Sowerby, op. cit., p. i, figs. 10, ij, ic. 



1879. Velorita cyprinoides, Cles.sin, op. cit., p. 244, pi. xlii, figs. 3, 4. 

 1915. \'elorita cyprinoides, Preston, op. cit., p. 2119. 



I give below a full description of the forma typica, as the 

 previous descriptions of the species are not quite complete. 



Shell fairly large, somewhat trigonal, cordate, very oblique; 

 swollen in the umbonal and middle regions of the shell, greatly 

 compressed below, umbones lying near the anterior margin being 

 recurved anteriorly and somewhat inwards, hollow, separated from 

 the hinge and one another by a narrow chink only ; anterior margin 

 short, regularly curved above, nearly straight in the middle, then 

 rapidly curving backwards in continuation of the ventral border; 

 the latter greatly curved upwards posteriorly to meet the posterior 

 side in an acuminate or narrowly rounded point ; posterior side 

 nearly straight, much larger than the anterior and with a low keel ; 

 shell very thick with concentric ridges better marked in the ante- 

 rior than in the posterior half, umbones also striated, often 

 weathered; a narrow lunule anteriorly and a large, thick external 

 ligament posteriorly ; hinge as in the genus ; epidermis olivaceous 



