IREDALE : LAND MOLLUSCA OF THE KEKMADEC ISLANDS. 381 



the perforated axis, the square moutli, and the spiral ridges in the 

 throat. If it prove distinct, it may be calk'd Laomar 



Pilsbry in the Guide to the Study of the Helices lumped all the 

 species assigned to Phrixgnathus under the genus Laoma, but later, 

 in the Index FmmcB Novcc Zealandim (1904), Suter admitted a family 

 Laomidte (p. 62), comprising the two genera Zffo?«« and Phrixgnathus. 

 No concliologist could possibly place the shells here discussed in 

 Laoma from a study of the shell characters of the type of Laoma. As 

 Australian conchologists have variously chosen Flammulina, Endodonta, 

 and now Laoma., I consider the introduction of a new generic name 

 necessary, granted even that the animal maj' possess the structural 

 characteristics of Laoma, sensu lata, which I have not yet seen proved. 



In the Kep. Horn Sci. Exped., vol. ii, Zool., p. 188, 1890, Tate 

 referred his Charopa retinodes to Flammidina, and wrote : " This 

 species resembles Helix paradoxa, Cox, but is more depressed, the 

 spiral sculpture more distant, and the umbilicus wider. The animal 

 was not studied, but by shell characters it should be conspecific with 

 the fore-named species, which Suter (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Jan. 1894, 

 p. 64) refers to Laoma, section Phrixgnathus. On the other hand, 

 it is also comparable with an undescribed species of Flammidina, 

 inhabiting South Australia, which possesses the caudal gland, pedal 

 suture, jaw and dentition proper to that genus, whilst the form of 

 the shell is more consonant with Flammulina than with Laoma^ 



In the Rec. Austr. Mus., vol. vii, p. 294, 1909, Petterd and 

 Hedley synonvmized paradoxa. Cox, with Morti, Cox, and in the 

 Mem. Nat. Mus. Melb., No. 4, p. II, 1912, Cox and Hedley added 

 Flammulina retinodes, Tate, as another synonym, whilst in the former 

 place they recorded as habits, "always in dry positions nestling 

 under stones." Here, again, we have a coincidence of form, sculpture, 

 and habits in such distant localities as the Kermadecs and Eastern, 

 Southern, and Central Australia, which seems most suggestive of 

 generic affinity. 



Paealaoma Raoulensis, n.sp. PI. XYIII, Fig. 7. 



Shell small, sub-conical, spire elevated, thin, translucent, last 

 whorl descending, somewhat flattened, but periphery rounded, 

 umbilicus wide ; whorls 3| ; colour uniform brown. Sculpture : 

 first whorl and a half smooth ; the succeeding whorls sculptured 

 with slanting, distant lamellae, between which are minor threads 

 crossed by minute scratches; on the penultimate whorl the major 

 lamellae number over thirty, and on the last whorl exceed forty. 

 Aperture almost circular, columella slightly reflected, lip thin, sharp, 

 mouth unarmed. Umbilicus wide and deep, exposing previous 

 whorls, and about one-third diameter of shell. Diam. max. 2-0, 

 min. 1-8 mm. ; alt. 1*5 mm. 



^({j. —Sunday Island, Kermadec Group. Living under stones, 

 wood, and dead leaves on the ground. 



Paealaoma ambigua, n.sp. PI. XYIII, Fig. 5. 



Shell small, sub-discoidal, spire little elevated, thin, translucent, 

 last whorl descending, flattened above and periphery semi-keeled; 



