TIARA. 25 



40. Tiara (Melanoides) episcopalis (1. & H. Lea}. 



Tiara (Melanoides) episcopalis (I. & H. Lea), P. Z. S. 1850, p. 184, 

 in part; Reeve, Con. Icon., Melania, pi. 3, sp. 12; H. T.. 

 C. 1. pi. 72, fig. 7, & pi. 75, figs. 5, 7. 



Original description: Testa plicata, turrita, subcrassa, tene- 

 brosa-castanea ; spira elevata ; suturis impressis ; aufractibus 

 subconvexis, prope suturam superiorem concavis; plicis raris, 

 subacuminatis ; apertura rnagna, elliptica, intus caerulescente ; 

 columella contorta. 



Alt. 61, diam. 20 mm. 



Hob. A sluggish river, Malacca. 



The authors also append the following note : 



" This is a remarkable and interesting species, and differs from 

 any which has been described in having rather large and some- 

 what distant folds rising on the upper part into nodular points 

 in all the four specimens submitted for examination. The apex 

 of these specimens being truncated, the number of whorls cannot 

 be ascertained. A perfect adult would probably present about 

 ten. The folds are distinct on the four lower whorls only. On 

 the middle of the lower whorl there is a slightly elevated line, 

 below which are about six obscure striae. The aperture is large, 

 and more than one-third the length of the shell ; it is twisted, 

 and has an elongated base. The columella is whitish and very 

 much incurved. The operculum is more spiral than usual, and 

 the polar point more toward the centre." 



A number of minor varieties are cited by Nevill in his ' Hand 

 List,' from which, however, for the purposes of the present work 

 it will be sufficient to quote the following : 



Var. pontificalis (v. d. Busch), Mousson, L. & S. Moll. Java, 

 p. 65, pi. 10, fig. 3 (as Melania pontificalis). 



Melania infracostata, v. d. Busch, in Reeve, Conch. Icon., Melania, 

 sp. 14 ; Nevill, Hand List, pt. 2, p. 259. 



Original description : Testa turrita, magna, crassa, lactea, 

 superne flammulis nonuullis picta, epidermide olivacea induta, 

 anfractibus longitudine transversimque tenuiter striatis, superiori- 

 bus fere planatis, inferioribus convexis, ultimo et penultimo 

 crassicostatis, costis distantibus superne in nodulos exeuntibus ; 

 columella arcuata, labro acuto ad basin producto ; apertura ovata, 

 Jactea. 



Alt. 72, diam. 24-5 mm. 



Hob. Borneo ; near Sibsagar (Peal). 



41. Tiara (Melanoides) menkeana (Lea), emend. 



Melania metikiana, in Lea, Obs. Unio, iv, p. 24, for Melania plicata, 

 Lea, Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc. (& Obs. Unio, ii, p. 20), pi. 23, fig. 95 

 (not oi'Meuke, Synops. 1830). 



