210 AMPHIDROMUS, GROUP XV. 



text (April, 1898); p. 213 (Mar., 1899). A. inconstans var. gracilis 

 MARTENS, Conchologische Miscellen, in Archiv f. Naturg. Ixv, p. 

 29, pi. 3, f. 2 (April, 1899). 



This species is near A. kalaoensis, but the aperture is somewhat 

 longer and more effuse below, the earlier whorls and apex are invar- 

 iably white, with no dark apical dot, and the parietal callus and um- 

 bilical area show none of the pink color of kalaoensis. The figures, 

 drawn from specimens of the original lot, sufficiently show its varia- 

 bility in markings. The uniform yellow form with white top (a) 

 occurred upon Allor, Pantar and Pura Islands, the other stripe- 

 varieties upon Allor, and form b on Pura also. 



Professor von Martens has distinguished the shells with only a 

 peripheral band or none, and rather slim contour (forms a and b of 

 Fulton) as var. gracilis (pi. 67, fig. 16); but there seems a minimum 

 of use in such distinction, as it is quite impossible to draw a line 

 between b and c, and the latter is equally near the typical form. If 

 used at all, the varietal name gracilis should apply to figs. 1417, 

 while figs. 12, 13 represent the typical inconstans. 



The striped form, " var. D" of Fulton, while probably of common 

 ancestry with inconstans, may not be actually connected therewith, 

 and will probably stand. See A. oscitans. 



15. Group of A. contrarius. 



Slender, sinistral forms, in which the parietal wall bears a small 

 callous nodule near ihe posterior angle of the aperture, separated from 

 the lip by a narrow channel. The coloring is similar to the patterns 

 of the group of A. porcellanus. 



A: CONTRARIUS (Muller). PI. 68, figs. 22-27. 



Shell umbilicate or perforate, sinistral, oblong turreted, thin but 

 moderately solid, polished and glossy, faintly striatulate above, some- 

 what coarsely wrinkle-striate on the base. Ground-color of a pale 

 flesh-tint, white on the spire, flammulate with oblique purple-brown 

 stripes which do not reach to tie suture above, and are bisected by a 

 yellow band (white on the spire] which revolves midway between sutures, 

 and frequently has dark borders on the last whorl ; the flames 

 abruptly terminating at a wide yellow band revolving below the peri- 

 phery, and bordered above and below with narrow dark bands ; a large 

 flesh-colored ba?al area below the band. Whorls about 6, quite con- 



