72 COLLECTIONS FROM MELANESIA. 



characteristic of T. speviosus. Ziziphinus comptus, A. Adams, is a 

 different Bpecies from that described by Philippi, and has since been 

 described by Souverbie under the name of T. poupineli. 



90. Trochus (Calliostoma) decoratus. 



Trochus decoratus, Philippi, Con.-Cab. pi. 13. fig. 1. 

 Zizyphinus decoratus, Reeve, Conch. Icon. fig. 28; A. Adams, Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. 1851, p. 165. 



//„/, « ? ** ( Philippi); Brisbane waters, East Australia (11' eve) ; 



Sydney and Port Jackson ( Coppingi r and Lieut. A. Smith, R.N.). 



The interior of the aperture of this species, close to the outer and 

 basal margin, is thickened with a whitish and more or less cloudy 

 pearly deposit, which conceals to some extent the beautiful iri- 

 descence observable further within. 



91. Trochus (Calliostoma) rubropunctatus. 



Ziziphinus rubropunctatus, A. Adams, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1851, p. 107 ; 

 Reeve, Conch. Icon. fig. 56. 



Hah. ? (Adams c\ Reeve); Albany Island, N. Australia, in 



3-4 fms. on a muddy bottom, and Port Darwin, ET.W. Australia, 

 8-12 fms. (Coppinger). 



This is a most charming littlo species, and readily recognized by 

 its peculiar painting and remarkable sculpture. Adams describes 

 the colour as " lutescens." I should rather consider it pale fleshy 

 pink, with dark red dots in the interstices between the oblique 

 cost* and tho transverse or spiral ridges. The latter are said to be 

 four in number on the last whorl ; but on careful examination I find 

 six, of which four are, however, more prominent than the rest. 

 The upper volutions are encircled by three principal lira?, and a 

 fourth secondary one at the suture. The points of intersection of 

 these spiral ridges and the oblique costa? ;v;e produced into quite 

 acute nodules or prickles. The base of the shell is almost flat, 

 ornamented with about six concentric lir-^, which are more or less 

 granulous, with the interstices exhibiting strong lines of growth 

 and translucent nacre. The colour closely approaches the rest of 

 the surface, varied with brown dots both upon and between the 

 granules. 



92. Trochus (Thalotia) torresi. (Plate VI. fig. A.) 



Shell sharply conical, subperforated or with the perforation con- 

 cealed, greenish (sometimes pinkish red), with oblique white narrow 

 stripes and darker green (or rosy black) spotting at the base of tho 

 whorls and upon the angle of the last. Volutions about 8, flat, 

 margined at the lower part with two rows of closely packed granules 

 rather mure prominent than five others above. Between these, in 

 well-preserved specimens, very fine lirae (one in each interstice) and 

 oblique lines of growth are discernible. Last whorl rather acutely 

 angled at the periphery, beneath with about nine concentric rows of 



