﻿50 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  series 
  before 
  me 
  larger, 
  there 
  would 
  be 
  little 
  difficulty 
  in 
  showing 
  

   the 
  specific 
  identit}'. 
  

  

  The 
  single 
  specimen 
  from 
  Torres 
  Straits 
  is 
  smaller 
  than 
  the 
  type 
  

   in 
  the 
  Cumingian 
  collection, 
  and 
  consists 
  of 
  nine 
  whorls, 
  three 
  of 
  

   which 
  form 
  the 
  smooth 
  pinkish 
  nucleus. 
  The 
  brown 
  zone 
  around 
  

   the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  body-whorl 
  is 
  uninterrupted, 
  and 
  passes 
  up 
  the 
  

   spire 
  just 
  above 
  the 
  suture, 
  beneath 
  which 
  the 
  whorls 
  are 
  also 
  

   stained 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  colour. 
  The 
  columella 
  is 
  smooth, 
  Avith 
  the 
  

   exception 
  of 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  elongate 
  tubercles 
  at 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  ; 
  and 
  

   the 
  labrum 
  is 
  armed 
  within 
  with 
  about 
  fifteen 
  fine 
  lira?, 
  running 
  far 
  

   within 
  the 
  aperture. 
  

  

  33. 
  Phos 
  senticosus, 
  var. 
  

  

  Murex 
  senticosus, 
  Linn. 
  

  

  Var. 
  = 
  Phos 
  muriculatus, 
  Gould. 
  

  

  Var. 
  = 
  Phos 
  angulatus, 
  Sowerby. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  West 
  Island, 
  Prince 
  of 
  Wales 
  Channel, 
  Torres 
  Straits 
  

   (Co2:>p{n(/er) 
  ; 
  Port 
  Essington, 
  7 
  fms. 
  {Juices 
  in 
  Brit. 
  Mus.). 
  

  

  The 
  variety 
  muricuUttus 
  cannot, 
  I 
  think, 
  be 
  distiuguished 
  from 
  

   the 
  well-known 
  P. 
  senticosus, 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  has 
  the 
  aspect 
  of 
  being 
  a 
  

   dwarfed 
  form. 
  The 
  style 
  of 
  coloration 
  is 
  similar, 
  and 
  the 
  dift'erence 
  

   in 
  sculpture 
  is 
  very 
  slight 
  indeed, 
  not 
  sufficient 
  to 
  warrant, 
  in 
  my 
  

   opinion, 
  a 
  specific 
  separation. 
  In 
  the 
  British 
  Museum 
  I 
  find 
  a 
  

   series 
  graduating 
  from 
  the 
  short 
  stumpy 
  form 
  of 
  P. 
  muriculatus 
  to 
  

   the 
  more 
  graceful 
  elongate 
  outline 
  of 
  P. 
  senticosus, 
  the 
  latter 
  con- 
  

   sisting 
  of 
  eight 
  whorls, 
  exclusive 
  of 
  the 
  smooth 
  apex, 
  and 
  the 
  former 
  

   of 
  six, 
  other 
  specimens 
  intermediate 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  length 
  having 
  

   seven. 
  P. 
  angulatus 
  appears 
  to 
  offer 
  very 
  slight 
  differences 
  beyond 
  

   the 
  absence 
  in 
  a 
  greater 
  or 
  less 
  degree 
  of 
  colour. 
  

  

  34. 
  Purpura 
  bitubercularis, 
  var. 
  

  

  Lamarck 
  ; 
  Kiener, 
  Coq. 
  Viv. 
  pi. 
  xi. 
  fig. 
  32 
  ; 
  Reeve, 
  Conch. 
  Lc. 
  fig. 
  37 
  ; 
  

  

  Kdster, 
  Conch.-Cab. 
  pi. 
  31 
  a. 
  figs. 
  3-8. 
  

   = 
  Purpura 
  kienerii, 
  Deshnyes, 
  Anim. 
  sans 
  Vert. 
  vol. 
  x. 
  p. 
  101. 
  

   Var. 
  = 
  Purpura 
  undata, 
  Heeve 
  (? 
  Lamarck), 
  Conch. 
  Leon. 
  fig. 
  43. 
  

  

  Hab. 
  Philippine 
  Islands 
  (Cuming); 
  Port 
  Essington 
  (Juhes); 
  

   Arakan 
  coast 
  {Blanford) 
  ; 
  Pelew 
  Islands 
  (Dr. 
  King) 
  ; 
  Port 
  Molle, 
  

   Uueensland 
  ( 
  Co^^pinger). 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  varies 
  considerably 
  in 
  the 
  length 
  and 
  development 
  of 
  

   the 
  tubercles. 
  The 
  two 
  small 
  specimens 
  from 
  Queensland 
  have 
  

   them 
  short 
  and 
  obtuse, 
  as 
  represented 
  in 
  fig. 
  3 
  of 
  Kiister. 
  Some 
  

   other 
  forms, 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  described 
  under 
  various 
  names, 
  may 
  

   eventually 
  be 
  considered 
  conspecific 
  with 
  this 
  : 
  such 
  are 
  P. 
  luteo- 
  

   stoma, 
  Chemnitz, 
  P. 
  alveolata, 
  Heeve, 
  P. 
  clavigera, 
  Kiister, 
  and 
  

   perhaps 
  P. 
  bronni, 
  Dunker. 
  I 
  cannot, 
  however, 
  agree 
  with 
  Tryon 
  

   that 
  P. 
  hippocastanum 
  should 
  also 
  be 
  classed 
  with 
  this 
  species. 
  I 
  

   should 
  here 
  observe 
  that 
  the 
  specimen 
  figured 
  by 
  Eeeve 
  as 
  P. 
  undata 
  

   of 
  Lamarck 
  is 
  unquestionably 
  a 
  variety 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  (bitubercularis), 
  

  

  