VOLUTES. 83 



The geographical distribution of the Volutes is noted by 

 Mr. Eeeve as worthy of careful attention. Of sixty-one 

 species at present known^ twenty-four inliabit the coast of 

 Australia. Throughout the great Eastern Ocean^ spreading 

 from Java to Japan, only twelve are found ; seven are from 

 different parts of the coast of Africa^, including Madagascar ; 

 six from South America, east and west ; and four inhabit 

 the West Indian Seas and the Gulf of Mexico. The loca- 

 lity of the remaining eight species remains unknown. 



It is, therefore, obvious that the Volutes have peculiarly 

 a southern range. Only sixteen species are found north of 

 the equator, whilst there are thirty-seven in the southern 

 hemisphere ; two of which, F. Magellanica and ancilla, of 

 large size, inhabit the coast of Patagonia and Tierra del 

 Puego, in the same parallel of latitude with Scotland and 

 Hudson^s Bay, in the opposite hemisphere. Yet the Volutes 

 do not approach the Mediterranean, or any part of Europe ; 

 and very curious is the fact, that the fine and beautifully 

 coloured V. miisica is the only species found in the West 

 Indies, excepting the small V. Guildiiigii. An equallv 

 small species, the V. guttata, allied to this, inhabits the 

 coast of Honduras ; and it is believed that the celebrated 

 Y. Jiinonia, of which only a few specimens are known, is 



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