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SOME MOEE MISUSED MOLLUSCAN GENEKIC NAMES. 

 By Tom Iredale. 



Bead 9th April, 1915. 



Continuing my verification of the generic names to be used for 

 Antipodean Molluscs, I have noted some exotic names which seemed 

 to call for rectification. I here give notes upon a few names of more 

 than local interest, and am glad to find that my previous communi- 

 cations have been appreciated, both Messrs. Dall and Cossmann 

 personally writing me with regard to some of the points I raised, for 

 which I here thank them. 1 hope they will continue their kindly 

 criticism, for by means of such help we shall sooner attain a fixity of 

 our nomenclature. 



Skenea, Fleming. 



In the last List of British Marine Molluscs, Skenea, Fleming, and 

 Belphinoidea, Brown, are admitted as different genera, and the latter 

 crept an entry into Suter's Manual of New Zealand Mollusca. 

 I have rejected it as I did not consider the Neozelanic mollusc, so 

 classed, as congeneric with the type of Brown's genus. I now find 

 there has been a confusion between the two above-named genera, and 

 here attempt to explain it, and clear up the Juatter. In the 

 Edin. Bhilos. Journ., vol. xii, April, 1825, p. 246, footnote, Fleming 

 discussed the status of some small shells and concluded, "Three 

 species. Helix depressus, aerjmloides, and xmispiralis of Montagu . . . 

 call for the construction of a new genus, which will in some respects 

 have the same relation to Cijclostrema as Turritella bears to Scalaria, 

 This genus I feel inclined to term Skenea.^' 



In his Hist. Brit. Anim., 1828, p. 313, Fleming included the 

 genus Skenea, giving as recent examples only S. depressa, serjndoides, 

 and divisa. 



In the meanwhile Brown, in the Illus. Conch. Gt. Britain, 1827, 

 pi. li, figured a number of species of minute shells under the genus- 

 name Delphinoidca, among them being depressa, serpxdoides, and 

 divisa, most of the others being indeterminable or fry. 



No type of either Skenea or Belphinoidea was named by their 

 authors, nor is any example tautonymic. Consequently, tlie first 

 author to select a type vmst be followed, and this appears to be Gray, 

 who in the Proc. Zuol. Soc. 1847, p. 152, wrote: 



Skenea, Ylemiu^, 1824, 1828. Belphinoidea, T. Brown, 1827. 



Helix serpiiloides. 

 Thus, as type of Skenea, one of the original species was named, and 

 this finally fixes that genus. Unfortunately Forbes and Hanley 

 (Hist. Brit. Moll., vol. iii, 1850, p. 155), when they admitted Skenea, 

 wrote thus: "This genus was established by Dr. Fleming for the 

 Helix depressa of Montagu, and some apparently allied shells . . . 

 It is synonymous with the Belphinoidea of Brown. . . . The only 

 one of the following shells which unquestionably should retain this 



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