﻿382 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  vol. 
  loa 
  

  

  Genus 
  Antimelania 
  Crosse 
  and 
  Fischer, 
  1892 
  

  

  Genotype: 
  (Melania 
  variabilis 
  Benson 
  1836 
  (not 
  Melania 
  variabilis 
  

   Defrance 
  1823)=) 
  Antimelania 
  costula 
  (Rafinesque) 
  1833. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  well-known 
  but 
  preoccupied 
  and 
  preceded 
  name 
  for 
  the 
  

   genotype 
  implies, 
  the 
  shell 
  sculpture 
  of 
  members 
  of 
  this 
  genus 
  is 
  

   variable. 
  These 
  shells 
  are 
  similar 
  to 
  Melanoides 
  but 
  usually 
  larger 
  in 
  

   size, 
  "with 
  the 
  sculpture 
  bolder 
  when 
  present. 
  The 
  operculum 
  is 
  

   paleomelanian, 
  often 
  with 
  about 
  6 
  turns 
  in 
  contrast 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  

   Melanoides 
  with 
  about 
  2 
  turns. 
  The 
  apex 
  or 
  nuclear 
  whorl 
  of 
  these 
  

   shells 
  is 
  perfectly 
  symmetrical 
  in 
  uneroded 
  individuals. 
  The 
  aperture 
  

   is 
  more-or-less 
  regularly 
  rounded 
  at 
  the 
  base, 
  without 
  a 
  forward 
  

   projecting 
  rounded 
  angle 
  as 
  in 
  Brotia. 
  

  

  Specimens 
  of 
  Antimelania 
  sorinianxL 
  (Heude) 
  collected 
  in 
  1940 
  by 
  

   Dr. 
  H. 
  T. 
  Chen 
  at 
  Tai-Mo-Shan, 
  Kwangtung, 
  China, 
  possess 
  a 
  paleo- 
  

   melanian 
  operculum 
  (with 
  large 
  nucleus) 
  as 
  in 
  Heude's 
  figures 
  (1890, 
  

   pi. 
  41, 
  figs. 
  6, 
  6a). 
  They 
  were 
  all 
  ovo 
  viviparous, 
  parthenogenetic 
  

   females 
  containing 
  hundreds 
  of 
  minute 
  young 
  in 
  the 
  brood 
  pouch, 
  

   which 
  is 
  enormously 
  expanded 
  into 
  the 
  body 
  cavity 
  behind 
  the 
  head. 
  

   They 
  possessed 
  a 
  narrow 
  genital 
  groove 
  terminating 
  abruptly 
  on 
  the 
  

   right 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  foot, 
  without 
  any 
  trace 
  of 
  the 
  pleurocerine 
  type 
  of 
  

   egg-laying 
  sinus. 
  

  

  Apparently 
  Pilsbry 
  and 
  Bequaert 
  (1927, 
  p. 
  300) 
  did 
  not 
  know 
  that 
  

   the 
  specific 
  name 
  variabilis 
  was 
  preoccupied 
  when 
  they 
  designated 
  it 
  

   the 
  genotype 
  of 
  Antimelania 
  (Crosse 
  and 
  Fischer, 
  1892, 
  p. 
  313). 
  A 
  

   search 
  for 
  the 
  correct 
  name 
  to 
  use 
  in 
  replacement 
  led 
  to 
  the 
  discovery 
  

   that 
  costula 
  Rafinesque 
  (1833, 
  p. 
  166) 
  is 
  clearly 
  recognizable 
  as 
  identi- 
  

   cal 
  to 
  Benson's 
  variabilis. 
  

  

  Moore 
  (1899a, 
  p. 
  161) 
  has 
  recorded 
  the 
  brood-pouch 
  ovoviviparity 
  

   of 
  ^^Melania" 
  episcopalis 
  (Lea). 
  His 
  figure 
  (pi. 
  14, 
  fig. 
  13) 
  of 
  the 
  

   female 
  Antimelania 
  episcopalis 
  (Lea) 
  agrees 
  with 
  our 
  observations 
  on 
  

   the 
  genus 
  Antimelania. 
  The 
  figure 
  given 
  by 
  him 
  of 
  a 
  "male" 
  animal 
  

   of 
  this 
  same 
  species 
  is 
  either 
  a 
  nongravid 
  or 
  nonbreeding 
  female 
  of 
  the 
  

   same 
  species, 
  or 
  a 
  female 
  of 
  the 
  pleurocerine 
  genus 
  Oxytrema 
  with 
  only 
  

   the 
  genital 
  groove 
  and 
  egg-laying 
  pit 
  in 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  foot. 
  Moore 
  

   (1899a, 
  p. 
  163) 
  mentions 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  males 
  in 
  Tanganyicia 
  and 
  

   '^Melania," 
  but 
  nowhere 
  proves 
  it. 
  The 
  presence 
  of 
  any 
  males 
  in 
  

   this 
  family 
  is 
  still 
  not 
  proved. 
  

  

  Genus 
  Brotia 
  H. 
  Adams, 
  1866 
  

  

  Genotype: 
  (Melania 
  pagodula 
  Gould 
  1847 
  (not 
  Melania 
  pagodulus 
  

   Reeve 
  1860)=) 
  Brotia 
  pagodula 
  (Gould) 
  1847. 
  

  

  Shells 
  of 
  this 
  genus 
  are 
  elongate-conic, 
  of 
  variable 
  sculpture, 
  and 
  

   with 
  the 
  columellar 
  angle 
  of 
  the 
  basal 
  lip 
  of 
  the 
  aperture 
  produced 
  

  

  