114 PSEUDOPEAS. 



"At once distinguishable from B. pullus Gray and its allies 

 by its lengthened, cylindrical form, its slenderness, and by 

 the obliquity of the aperture " (Bens.). 



Genus PSEUDOPEAS Putzeys, 1899. 



Pseudopeas PUTZ., Annales de la Soeiete Royale Malaeolo- 

 gique de Belgique, xxxiv, 1889, Bull, des seances p. Iviii. 

 Beccaria BOURGUIGNAT, Malac. Abyssinie, in Annales des 

 Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie, xv, 1883, p. 119 (for S. isseli 

 Jick) . Not Beccaria Trinchese, Ann. Mus. Civ. di Stor. Nat. 

 di Geneva, i, 1870, p. 47 (Nudibranchiata). 



Shell imperforate or perforate, similar to Opeas but with 

 the protoconch of about 2 whorls spirally striate, subsequent 

 whorls longitudinally ribbed or rib-striate. Aperture as in 

 Opeas, the columellar margin reflexed. Type P. pulchellum 

 Putz. 



Distribution: tropical West Africa; Abyssinia; Connoro 

 Is. ; Central Australia ; South America. 



This is one of the most distinct of the groups dismem- 

 bered from Opeas, though its special features can scarcely 

 be seen without a compound microscope. It was first re- 

 cognized by Bourguignat, who knew it only from Jickeli's 

 account; but the generic name given by him had been used 

 many years before. Dr. Putzeys in 1899 proposed Pseud- 

 opeas as a new subgenus for ribbed Opeas, without knowing 

 of Bourguignat 's work, and in the belief that the protoconch 

 was smooth. Only Jickeli and d'Ailly have noticed the api- 

 cal sculpture. 



That the West and East African species are closely related 

 there can be no reasonable doubt; but the Australian form 

 referred to the genus may prove to be an unrelated but con- 

 vergent branch from the Opeas stem. The same may be true 

 of the American species. 



Subgenus PSEUDOPEAS s. str. Shell short, of 5 to 7^ more 

 or less ribbed whorls; protoconch very minutely engraved 

 spirally. Reproducing by large globular eggs, as in Opeas. 



Prince Island, Gulf of Guinea : P. crossei. 



