﻿106 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELAjSHESIA. 
  

  

  before 
  me 
  gradations 
  in 
  respect 
  to 
  lengtli 
  and 
  breadth, 
  Botb 
  are 
  

   slightly 
  narrower 
  in 
  front 
  than 
  behind, 
  sculptured 
  with 
  fine 
  con- 
  

   centric 
  strico 
  and 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  indistinct 
  shallow 
  radiating 
  markings, 
  

   a 
  feature 
  unnoticed 
  by 
  Deshayes. 
  Although 
  the 
  dentition 
  is 
  

   described 
  by 
  that 
  author 
  as 
  somewhat 
  different, 
  I 
  am 
  bound 
  to 
  say, 
  

   after 
  a 
  most 
  careful 
  examination, 
  that 
  both 
  the 
  number 
  and 
  position 
  

   of 
  the 
  teeth 
  are 
  absolutely 
  similar. 
  In 
  the 
  left 
  valve 
  I 
  find 
  three 
  

   teeth, 
  the 
  anterior 
  one 
  being 
  very 
  small 
  at 
  the 
  termination 
  of 
  the 
  

   inner 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  hinge-plate, 
  which 
  is 
  grooved 
  on 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  

   the 
  beak. 
  The 
  central 
  tooth 
  is 
  large, 
  prominent, 
  situated 
  imme- 
  

   diately 
  beneath 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  the 
  umbo, 
  and 
  the 
  third 
  is 
  insignificant 
  

   and 
  posterior 
  to 
  the 
  narrow 
  oblique 
  ligament. 
  The 
  right 
  valve 
  has 
  

   a 
  large 
  prominent 
  tooth 
  a 
  little 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  apex 
  of 
  the 
  umbo, 
  

   and 
  generally 
  the 
  extremity 
  of 
  the 
  inner 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  grooved 
  hinge- 
  

   plate 
  is 
  raised 
  into 
  a 
  tooth-like 
  prominence 
  behind 
  the 
  ligament, 
  

   which 
  extends 
  not 
  only 
  within 
  the 
  valves, 
  but 
  also 
  along 
  the 
  hinge- 
  

   line 
  just 
  above 
  the 
  teeth. 
  The 
  single 
  specimen 
  from 
  Port 
  MoUe 
  and 
  

   one 
  in 
  the 
  Cumingian 
  collection 
  are 
  peculiar 
  in 
  having 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  

   of 
  the 
  shallow 
  radiating 
  impressions 
  towards 
  the 
  hinder 
  ventral 
  ex- 
  

   tremity 
  deeper, 
  thus 
  producing 
  a 
  wavy 
  margin 
  to 
  the 
  valves 
  at 
  that 
  

   particular 
  spot. 
  

  

  47, 
  Scintilla 
  aurantiaca. 
  (Plate 
  VII. 
  figs. 
  H, 
  H 
  1.) 
  

  

  Beslimjes, 
  Proc. 
  Zool. 
  Soc. 
  1855, 
  p. 
  179 
  ; 
  Soiuerby, 
  Thes. 
  Conch, 
  vol. 
  iii. 
  

   p. 
  176, 
  pi. 
  234. 
  fig. 
  5. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  North 
  Australia, 
  under 
  stones 
  at 
  low 
  water 
  (Jul-es) 
  ; 
  island 
  

   of 
  Nairai, 
  Fiji, 
  at 
  low 
  water 
  (Brit. 
  Mas.) 
  ; 
  Port 
  MoUe, 
  Queensland 
  

   (Coppinger). 
  

  

  The 
  specimens 
  from 
  Port 
  Molle 
  agree 
  precisely 
  with 
  the 
  types 
  of 
  

   S. 
  aurantiaca 
  in 
  the 
  national 
  museum. 
  There 
  are 
  some 
  other 
  species 
  

   which 
  I 
  cannot 
  distinguish 
  from 
  it; 
  these 
  are 
  S. 
  faha, 
  Desh., 
  S. 
  

   Forhesii, 
  Dash., 
  S. 
  pallidula, 
  Desh., 
  S. 
  amhir/iia, 
  Desh., 
  S. 
  borneensis, 
  

   Desh., 
  and 
  S. 
  adamsi, 
  Desh. 
  The 
  last 
  and 
  S. 
  faha 
  are 
  placed 
  by 
  

   Sowerby 
  in 
  the 
  group 
  of 
  " 
  species 
  with 
  no 
  hiatus 
  " 
  in 
  the 
  ventral 
  

   margin. 
  This 
  location 
  is 
  incorrect, 
  for 
  both 
  gape 
  slightly, 
  and 
  in 
  

   fact 
  Deshayes, 
  in 
  his 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  latter, 
  says 
  " 
  margine 
  infe- 
  

   riore 
  angustissme 
  hiante." 
  This 
  opening 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  subject 
  to 
  

   variation 
  in 
  shells 
  which 
  are 
  unquestionably 
  the 
  same 
  specifically 
  ; 
  

   and 
  therefore 
  I 
  believe 
  it 
  probable 
  that 
  all 
  the 
  above-mentioned 
  

   so-called 
  species 
  will 
  prove 
  to 
  be 
  variations 
  of 
  Lamarck's 
  Psam- 
  

   mohia 
  aurantia, 
  which, 
  according 
  to 
  Sowerby's 
  figure 
  (Conch. 
  Icon, 
  

   fig. 
  20, 
  S. 
  maiiritiana), 
  has 
  an 
  extremely 
  wide 
  gape 
  beneath. 
  The 
  

   latter 
  species 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  synonymous 
  with 
  S. 
  aurantia 
  by 
  Deshayes 
  

   (Anim. 
  sans 
  Vert. 
  vol. 
  vi. 
  p. 
  180, 
  GaJeomma 
  aurantia), 
  and 
  von 
  

   Martens 
  expresses 
  a 
  similar 
  opinion 
  (Miibius, 
  ' 
  Meeresfauna 
  Mauritius 
  

   &c.,' 
  p. 
  322). 
  Deshayes 
  (P. 
  Z. 
  8. 
  1855, 
  p. 
  167) 
  says 
  that 
  the 
  La- 
  

   marckian 
  shell 
  is 
  a 
  Galeomma. 
  

  

  The 
  animal 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Coppinger's 
  shells 
  agrees 
  with 
  the 
  description 
  

  

  