480 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vol. XXII, 



1900. Vivipai-a snmatrensis, v. Martens, Nachr. Malnkozool . Ges. 



xxxn, p. 10. 



1909. Vivipaya snmatrensis, Kobelt, Martini and Cliemnits Conch. - 

 Cab. (ed. Kiister), pp. 276, 377, pi. Ivi, figs. g-12. 



There has been some difference of opinion as to whether 

 V. snmatrensis should be considered a species distinct from V. line- 

 olata (Mousson) v. Martens, V . polygramma (v. Martens) and V. 

 bengalensis (Lam.). IMorelet summed up the situation as follows : 

 "En resume, les Pal. Snmatrensis et polygramma ne sont, a mon 

 avis, qu'eune meme espece; le nom de lineolata est un double 

 emploi ; toutes ces formes, enfin, se rattachent etroitement a la P. 

 Bengalensis et n'en sont probablement que des varietes." Nevill, 

 following Morelet, considered the forms polygramma, lineolata and 

 sumatrensis as synonymous, and for this form, which he considered 

 to be a subspecies of P. bengalensis, he wrongly selected the name 

 polygramma. Von Martens, however, after carefully considering 

 the whole situation, concluded that V . sumatrensis is quite distinct 

 from V . polygramma, and that Mousson's V. lineolata should be 

 considered as synonymous with it. Reeve's P. lineolata, however, 

 he considered to be a distinct species and so also, though with some 

 doubt, Frauenfeld's description of the same species. Kobelt, 

 agreeing with von Martens, has described V. lineolata and V. poly- 

 gramma as distinct from both V . sumatrensis and V. bengalensis. 



The largest specimen in the collection measures 21 mm. in 

 length. The keel on the bodj'-whorl is well marked in young 

 individuals but becomes less distinct in older specimens. The 

 specimens are mostly 5'ellowish or even of an olive colour, but a 

 few have a reddish-brown tinge owing to a deposit on the surface. 

 In all cases the black bands on the yellow or brown back-ground 

 are quite distinct. 



Most of the specimens are from areas of fresh water near 

 Medan and near Bohorok, but a few dead shells were also collected 

 on dry land. A few specimens are from the east coast of Sumatra 

 (exact locality not stated). 



Vivipara javanica (v. d. Busch). 



1897. Vivipara javanica, v. Martens, op. cit., pp. 21, 22. 

 1909. Vivipara javanica, Kobe't, op. cit., pp. 251, 252, pi. Hi. fijj'«. 

 1-7- 

 A number of forms of this species were described as distinct 

 varieties by von Martens, and Kobelt has since included some 

 more. The identification of these varieties, in spite of the careful 

 descriptions and excellent figures published by the two authors, is 

 not an easy task owing to the very great individual variation 

 exhibited in large series of shells, and I would have been obliged 

 to identify some of the specimens before me as varieties of Busch's 

 form without assigning them to their exact varietal rank, but for 

 the valuable named material that I have received from Prof. Max 

 Weber for examination and in exchange. 



None of the specimens in the collection belong to the typical 



