346 mazatlan ttnivalte8 



Family LITOEINID^. 



Genxjs LITOEINA, Fer. 



Littorina, Fer. Tabl. Elem., 1822, p. 10, (a littus, poet.) et auct. 

 Litorina, Phil. Sandh. Conch, p. 175, (a litus, norm.) 



If the British species of this genus, which are living in 

 extreme profusion within reach of naturalists, are not yet 

 satisfactorily ascertained, it is not to be expected that those 

 from foreign shores should be more favourably situated. Ee- 

 peated and close examination of many thousand specimens 

 from Mazatlan have involved the necessity^ of joining two of 

 Philippi's species. I have therefore dedicated to him, (in 

 remembrance of his accurate Monographs of this and many 

 other difficult genera, and especially of his great work on the 

 Mollusca of Sicilj^,) a species which the necessities of the shells 

 seemed to require, but which may hereafter, with more copious 

 materials, share the same fate. 



9 



Section A. Melaraphe, pars, H. ^ A. Ad. Gen. vol. i. p. 314. 



396. LiTOEINA CONSPEESA, Phil. 



Ahhihl. pt. ii. pi. 4, f. 14.— C. B. Ad. Pan. Shells, p. 172, 

 no. 234.— (Melaraphe c.) H. Sf A. Ad. Gen. i. 314. 



+ Litorina puncticidata, Phil, loc. cit. f. 15. — C. B. Ad. loc. cit. 

 p. 176, no. 241.— (Melaraphe p.) H. Sf A. Ad. loc, cit. 



= Litorina modesta, Mke. in Zeit.f. Mai. 1850, p. l&i, no. 9 : — 

 (non Phil. loc. cit. pi. 6, f. 12: — P/w. Zool. Soc. 1845, 

 p. 141 -.—Midd. Mai. Bos. pt. ii. p. 66, no. 9, (Sitcha & New 

 .ilbion, Barclay) : — ff. Sf A. Ad. loc. cit. p. 313. 



The ordinary state of the species varies between the extremes 

 described by Phil, but comes nearer to L. puncticidata. The 

 name L. conspersa is hovrever retained, as being that by which 

 the species is generally known, and most distinctive in deriva- 

 tion, there being already a L. punctata. Prof. Adams, while 

 acknowledging that the two species approximate, is able for 

 the most part easily to distinguish his 400 specimens. The 

 thousands that were sent in the Mazatlan collection not only 

 offer intermediate forms, but run so gradually into each other, 

 ;is not to allow of specific separation. 



The species is known by its white, or dirty yellowish colour, 

 often dotted, especially in the young sheU, with light purplish 



