168 PROCREDINGS OF THE MALACOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
In the Museum there are eleven specimens of mzcrodon—one from 
the Cuming Collection, one from Gaskoin’s collection, the Grayian 
co-type, two from the ‘‘Challenger”’ collection from Fiji, one from 
Aden presented by Capt. E. R. Shopland, and five from Mauritius 
received from Mr. Robillard. The last-named I consider to be most 
representative of the species. 
All of these have been named microdon for many years, and there- 
fore I fail to appreciate Mr. Melvill’s remark that ‘‘ In our National 
Collection at South Kensington it has not been fully understood as 
a species.”” I may say also I have hunted in vain for the ‘‘ specimen 
or two mixed up with C. fimbriata.” 
The species named by Mr. Melvill Cyprea minoridens, which he 
supposes to have been mistaken by authors for C. mierodon, is perhaps 
separable from C. fimbriata on account of its generally less pyriform 
shape and the absence of the dark dots on the sides of the base. This 
form is figured by Sowerby (Thesaurus, pl. 328, figs. 890, 391), and 
these figures are copied by Roberts (op. cit., pl. v; figs. (6,10): 
Examples of this form in the National Collection are from Natal, 
Mauritius, the Seychelles and Fiji Islands, and Savage Island. 
With regard to the type of C. microdon being in the Gray Collection, 
I must say at once that such is not the case. Gray quoted the species 
from Mr. Stutchbury’s collection as well as his own. The only 
example in his collection is the ‘ decorticated’ shell mentioned by 
Melvill. This certainly is not the type, for it is smaller than the 
dimensions given, and has no trace of the minute brown dots 
mentioned in the description. It is probably the shell referred to in 
the sentence ‘*‘ When worn the shell is marked with an obscure central 
yellowish band.” 
In conclusion, I should point out that Gray’s initials were J. E., 
not S.; that his paper was issued in vol. iv, not vol. vi, of the 
Zoological Journal, and that the copy of his description of C. mierodon 
is carelessly transcribed as regards the punctuation; that both 
measurements are imaccurately given, # and % should be ¢ and 4 
respectively ; and finally, the paragraph commencing ‘‘ Though 
worn,” etc., stands in the original ‘‘ When worn,”’ etc. 
