﻿MELVILL 
  : 
  TURKIDiE 
  OF 
  THE 
  PERSIAN 
  GULF, 
  ETC. 
  159 
  

  

  G. 
  & 
  H. 
  Nevill, 
  misled 
  by 
  the 
  highly 
  magnified 
  scale 
  of 
  the 
  illustration. 
  

   Our 
  species 
  is 
  four 
  times 
  the 
  size, 
  say 
  long. 
  28 
  mm. 
  

  

  D. 
  pallida, 
  Sowb., 
  of 
  which 
  I 
  possess 
  a 
  beautiful 
  example 
  from 
  

   Central 
  American 
  shores, 
  is 
  also 
  comparable, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  only 
  

   smaller, 
  whilst 
  the 
  costae 
  of 
  the 
  body-whorl 
  are 
  oblique, 
  and 
  the 
  form 
  

   more 
  attenuate. 
  D. 
  tasconium 
  is 
  very 
  liable 
  to 
  sea-breaks 
  and 
  slight 
  

   distorsion, 
  consequently 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  very 
  easy 
  to 
  secure 
  a 
  really 
  good- 
  

   conditioned 
  specimen. 
  

  

  50. 
  Drillia 
  tatloriana 
  (Reeve). 
  

   Pleurotoma 
  tayloriana, 
  Reeve, 
  Conch. 
  Icon., 
  i, 
  1846, 
  pi. 
  xl, 
  f. 
  366, 
  a, 
  h. 
  

  

  P.G. 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Oman, 
  Muscat, 
  15-40 
  fathoms. 
  Also 
  in 
  the 
  Persian 
  

   Gulf 
  proper, 
  Shaikh 
  Shuaib 
  Island, 
  10 
  fathoms, 
  fine 
  examples. 
  

  

  Our 
  specimens 
  are 
  precisely 
  similar 
  in 
  every 
  way 
  to 
  the 
  type 
  so 
  

   excellently 
  portrayed 
  by 
  Reeve. 
  D. 
  variabilis, 
  Sm., 
  theoreta, 
  Melv., 
  

   and 
  topaza, 
  Melv. 
  & 
  St., 
  are 
  the 
  nearest 
  allies. 
  Hidalgo 
  notes 
  it 
  as 
  

   found 
  by 
  Quadras 
  in 
  the 
  Island 
  of 
  Cebu, 
  Philippines. 
  Hedley, 
  too, 
  

   notes 
  it 
  from 
  Queensland. 
  

  

  51. 
  Drillia 
  theoreta, 
  Melv. 
  

  

  Drillia 
  theoreta, 
  Melvill, 
  Ann. 
  Mag. 
  Nat. 
  Hist., 
  ser. 
  vii, 
  vol. 
  iv, 
  1899, 
  

   p. 
  85, 
  pi. 
  i, 
  f. 
  2. 
  

  

  P.G. 
  Henjam 
  Island, 
  20-25 
  fathoms, 
  and 
  a 
  small 
  brightly 
  coloured 
  

   variety 
  at 
  10 
  fathoms. 
  Shaikh 
  Shuaib 
  Island, 
  Kishm, 
  and 
  other 
  

   islands 
  in 
  the 
  Gulf, 
  seemingly 
  generally 
  distributed. 
  

  

  Smaller 
  in 
  all 
  its 
  parts, 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  whorls 
  far 
  less 
  ventricose 
  

   than 
  obtains 
  in 
  D. 
  iayloriana, 
  Reeve 
  ; 
  also 
  some 
  affinity 
  with 
  

   D. 
  cecchi, 
  Jouss., 
  is 
  observable, 
  but 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  always 
  much 
  paler 
  

   and 
  with 
  little 
  trace 
  of 
  pattern, 
  the 
  spire 
  is 
  likewise 
  more 
  attenuate, 
  

   and 
  it 
  has 
  more 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  an 
  abyssal 
  species. 
  

  

  52. 
  Drillia 
  topaza, 
  M. 
  & 
  St. 
  

  

  Drillia 
  topaza, 
  Melvill 
  & 
  Standen, 
  Proc. 
  Zool. 
  Soc. 
  Lond., 
  1901, 
  

   p. 
  440, 
  pi. 
  xxiv, 
  f. 
  4. 
  

  

  P.G. 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Oman, 
  Muscat, 
  15-20 
  fathoms. 
  

  

  An 
  ally 
  of 
  D. 
  theoreta, 
  Melv,, 
  but 
  much 
  smaller, 
  and 
  with 
  maraillate 
  

   protoconch. 
  The 
  longitudinal 
  ribs 
  are 
  very 
  few, 
  only 
  six 
  round 
  the 
  

   body-whorl. 
  The 
  coloration 
  is 
  also 
  peculiar, 
  reddish-pink 
  and 
  dark 
  

   purplish-red 
  beyond 
  the 
  sinus 
  and 
  round 
  the 
  mouth. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  rare 
  

   species, 
  and 
  decidedly 
  local 
  in 
  its 
  distribution. 
  

  

  53. 
  Drillia 
  variabilis, 
  Sm, 
  (Pi. 
  VIII, 
  Fig. 
  8.) 
  

  

  Drillia 
  variabilis, 
  E. 
  A. 
  Smith, 
  Ann. 
  Mag. 
  Nat. 
  Hist., 
  ser. 
  iv, 
  

  

  vol. 
  xix, 
  1877, 
  p. 
  495. 
  

   D. 
  variabilis, 
  Proc. 
  Zool. 
  Soc. 
  Lond., 
  1878, 
  p. 
  805, 
  pi. 
  1, 
  f. 
  2, 
  3. 
  

  

  P.G. 
  Off 
  Dubai, 
  among 
  the 
  pearl 
  ovster 
  beds 
  at 
  6 
  to 
  8 
  fathoms. 
  

   Gulf 
  of 
  Oman, 
  lat. 
  23° 
  50' 
  N., 
  long.' 
  27° 
  50' 
  E., 
  soft 
  mud. 
  And 
  

   also 
  lat. 
  26° 
  6' 
  N., 
  long. 
  51° 
  52' 
  E., 
  15 
  fathoms, 
  coral 
  sand. 
  

  

  