46 HELlCIDjE. 



"The shell is solid and opaque, with rounded periphery and 

 conoidal spire. It is porcelaneous white, but dull, not polished 

 when in a natural condition ; the whole surface above the peri- 

 phery is usually of a reddish-brown hue, becoming paler of a 

 brownish flesh-colour on the embryonic three whorls, and pink on 

 the inner two ; at and below the periphery there is a white zone 

 which covers the base, or is limited by a brown tract upon the 

 umbilical region ; the suture is often edged by a white line. The 

 surface has rather rude but inconspicuous lines of growth, and 

 under a strong lens is seen to be covered by a dense minute 

 pattern of incised criss-cross scratches ; the embryonic whorls 

 have radiating subregular strise, cut by subobsolete spiral engraved 

 lines. Whorls nearly 5, convex, the last flattened and sloping 

 above, a little descending in front. Aperture very oblique, 

 oblong-truncate, white inside, showing faintly the bands of outer 

 surface. Entire peristome broadly reflexed, of a bright pinkish- 

 red colour typically ; columellar margin long, oblique, very broadly 

 expanded and adnate to the base, flat, with a curved excavation at 

 the place of the umbilicus ; parietal wall covered by a heavy callus 

 of the same colour as the lip." (Pilsbry.) 



Major diam. 49, inin. 38 mm. ; alt. 39 mm. 



Hob. Ceylon (Blanford, Nevill, Colletf) Gralle (Simon). 



Morch records the species from Coromandel (Journ. Conchy 1. 

 xx, 1872, p. 336), and Benson states that it occurs in the JVico- 

 bars as well as Ceylon (A. M. N. H. ser. 2, xviii, 1856, p. 97). 

 As neither of these records has ever been confirmed, and as, more- 

 over, the genus is believed to be confined to Ceylon, these two 

 reputed habitats may without hesitation be disregarded. 



The banding varies to some extent in this species, and, assuming 

 the normal bands to be five, as in the Palsearctic Cepceas, the most 

 common form is represented by the following formula : (1 23) 5 or 

 (1 2 3) ; a specimen in my collection exhibits only two bands 

 1200 while another appears to have the five bands confluent 

 in two series, thus : (123) (4 5), which is also the case with the 

 shell figured in Conch. Ind. pi. 127, fig. 2. Lastly, a shell I 

 received from Col. Parry shows four thin bands, 12305, the 

 second band being a mere thread. I also possess several specimens 

 without any bands. Analogous arrangements obtain in the var. 

 melanotragus, specimens in my collection providing the following 

 formulas: 1(23)00, (123)00, I 1 (2 3) 00. 



Var. melanotragus, Born. 



Helix melanotragus, Born, Index, 1778, p. 400; ibid., Test. Mus. 

 Cses. Vindob. 1780, p. 388 ; Pfeifter, Conch.-Cab., Heliceen, i, 

 1846, p. 32,"pl. 3, figs. 4, 5 ; Chenu, Illustr. Conchyl. 1851, pi. 5, 

 fig. 2; Hanley & Theobald, Conch. Ind. 1875, pi. 127, fig. 3. 



Acavus melanotragus, Adams, Genera Moll, ii, 1858, p. 195 ; 

 Jousseaume, Mem. Soc. Zool. France, vii, 1894, p. 287. 



Helix (Acavus) melanotragus, Nevill, Hand List, i, 1878, p. 80. 



