IREDALK : OX MISUSED GKNERIC IfAMKS. 293 



Consequently it is impossible to get rid of tlie name by citing it as 

 a synonym. The only way to deal with it is to select as type the 

 species which represents a genus the least extensive or little used. 



I ha%-e been unable to trace any prior type designation, for which 

 I am sincerely thankful, as any such would almost certainly have 

 caused great confusion. 



The species associated by Costa are — 



Stromhiformis perversus = Clausilin . / g o!^. 



bicarinatiis = Turritella. ^ff^- 



ierebra = Turritella. 



ci7ictiis = Turrttella. 



clathrattis = Epitonium. ^ "-'-r' 



albus — '^ EulimaJ^'^' 



I glaler = LeiostracaJ ^ ^ ^ 



retictdatus = Bittium. AS*^ 

 costatiis Indeterminable. 



By elimination the choice would fall upon Leiostraca, and 

 I designate as type of Strombiformis, Costa, 1778, the species 

 (<S.) glaber. Leiostraca is preoccupied and invalid, and 1 have 

 replaced it by Subulnria, Monterosato. By my present action 

 Strombiformis yv'iW come into use for that genus, and, as I liave stated 

 above, if the meaning of the name be remembered, it may in time 

 become almost pleasant. It is most appiopriate to this genus, and 

 here it may be again emphasized that Strombiformis must be accorded 

 generic rank as distinct from Eiilima (= Ilelanella), and not be 

 considered subgeneric only. 



In conversation with Mr. E. A. Smith, I.S.O., of tlie British 

 Museum, be drew my attention to a discussion of the name twenty 

 years ago bv the Malacological Society of London (Proc. Malac. Soc, 

 vol. i, pp. 31-3). The question as to the type Avas discussed, 

 apparently Clausiiia and Turritella being chosen as the most likely to 

 be eliminated by the reiiitroduction of Strombiformis. Fortunately, 

 however, without any definite result being achieved, the subject was 

 dropped on the ground that Costa was not binomial. 



This argument is unavailable, so that the preceding still holds good. 

 I have also noted other workers have rejected Costa's genus as 

 "heterogeneous"; all the earlier workers proposed genera which 

 would fall under that term, and some present-day writers still make 

 use of genera which are, to me, heterogeneous. 



Mr. J. 11. Le B. Tomlin recently gave me a copy of Costa's Elements 

 of Conchology, 1776, which has often been quoted, but is now rejected 

 as being non-binomial. I cannot understand why it came to be 

 mentioned, since it is so obviously polynomial. As of historical 

 interest, I would mention Costa's account, as it gives a clue to his 

 nomination. 



" p. 205. The fifth and last genus of Snails is what I shall call 

 Cochlese Strombiformes : (Clavicula tenue et longissima) for tliey are 

 very long and slender shells, tapering to a sharp point, and therefore 

 exactly resemble the Needles or Strombi, whence I have named them 



