4!>4 COLLECTIONS FROM THE WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN. 



This pretty little species must not be confounded with C.galaocias, 

 Reeve (Conch. Icon. figs. 229 c/, b). The latter has a similar inter- 

 rupted line at the upper part of the whorls, and an indication of a 

 second towards the base of the last, but is nevertheless quite distinct, 

 being destitute of the roundly meshed network, and more elongate 

 in form. It has an opaque-white dotted line immediately above tho 

 suture falling round the middle of the body-whorl, and consists of 

 two more normal volutions than C. moleculina. 



28. Cohraibella cincinnata. (Plate XLIV. fig. H.) 

 Martens, Moll. Mauritius, p. 248, pi. 20. fig. 14. 



Eagle Island, Amirantes, 12 fms. ('Alert ') ; Mauritius (Martens). 



Of this little species I have several examples before me in adult 

 condition. In these I count five normal whorls and three nuclear, 

 the former being nearly straight at the sides and the latter convex. 

 The labrum is but very little thickened, has a shallow sinuation above 

 and a few denticles within. The columella is subperpendicidar, 

 covered with a thin callus, having a prominent free margin. 



29. Columbella rufopiperata. (Plate XLIV. fig. I.) 



Shell minute, ovate-fusiform, flesh-coloured, everywhere minutely 

 dotted with red and marked with an indistinct pale line around the 

 middle of the body-whorl. Volutions 7, three apical smooth, 

 convex ; the rest somewhat gradated, flat at the sides, very strongly 

 longitudinally costate. Ribs about twelve in number, continuous 

 up the spire, rounded, thick, having the upper end crossed by 

 a shallow groove, giving the whorls a margined appearance. The 

 body-whorl is convex at the middle, somewhat contracted below, 

 transversely grooved at the base, with the costa3 less strongly deve- 

 loped as the labrum is approached. Aperture very small and 

 narrow, only slightly contracted into a short oblique canal ; the 

 outer lip is distinctly sinuated below the suture and thickened 

 within. The columella is rounded, prominent at the middle, and 

 covered with a callus. Length 3 millim., width lg. 



Etoile Island, Amirantes, 13 fms. 



This minute species to the naked eye appears to be of a pinkish- 

 brown colour, but on examination with a lens is seen to be minutely 

 dotted with red upon a pale flesh-coloured ground. The ribs are 

 very strong for so small a shell. 



30. Columbella amirantium. (Plate XLIV. fig. K.) 



Shell small, broad, ovate-fusiform, subpellucid, with the upper 

 part of the whorls whitish and pale pink beneath, ornamented with 

 some opaque white spots below the suture and a band of small dots 

 of the same colour round the middle of the body-whorl, the basal 

 extremity of which is dark pink or black dotted with white. 



