150 Dr. J. C. Melvill on Marine Mollusca 



Triphora interpres, sp. n. (PI. V. fig. 23.) 



T. testa elegantulaattenuato-fusiformi, gracili, cinerea ; anfractibus 

 ad 20, quorum 5 apicales, apice ipso pallide fusco, laevi, his 

 proximis pulchre cancellatis, oehracoo-fuscis, cajteris le niter et 

 auguste adsuturas irnpressis, lateribus fere rectis, tribus spiralium 

 gomraularum ordinibus arete et regulariter prseditis, ordine medio 

 miaorum, superficie hie illic castaneo-tessellato, ultimo circa 

 basin bilirato ; apertura parva, semicirculari, canali conspicuo, 

 brevi, recurvo. 



Long. 11, lat. 2-25 mm. (sp. max.). 



Hob. Persian Gulf, Mussandam, 55 fathoms. 



A rare species, very gracefully attenuate, many (20 or 

 more) whorled, the apical being five in number, ochreous- 

 brown and finely cancellate in young specimens, but soon 

 getting worn, the remainder slightly impressed suturally, 

 with three.spiral bands of gemmuled nodules, those on either 

 side of the sutures being the largest and most pronounced, 

 the median row smaller ; the body-whorl has but three 

 gemmuled rows in all the examples we have examined, the 

 fourth row, at the periphery, being a simple ridge. The 

 colour is ashy-white, flecked with pale chestnut dashes over 

 the whorls at certain intervals. Mouth small proportionately, 

 semicircular ; peristome thin, canal short, recurved. 



In the former enumeration of the species of this genus 

 occurring in the Persian Gulf area five only are mentioned, 

 viz. : — 



T. acuta (Kien.), 



T. cingulata (A. Ad.), 



T. corrugata (Hinds), 



T. idonea, M. & JSt., 



T. perversa (L.). 



Of these, acuta, Kien., we have identified with the aid of 

 specimens in the British Museum, assisted by the excellent 

 figure in ' Coquilles Vivantcs.' 



It is common at Karachi, and known by the dark brown 

 spiral zone of gemmuled nodules at the sutures. A small 

 species; may possibly be an extreme form of perversa. 



This last-named is protean, and of extremely wide distribu- 

 tion. We have examined two or three hundred examples at 

 least, and find it impossible to get a definite grasp of any 

 essential distinctive character. Mr. le Brockton Tomlin 



