44 AGLAJA. 



Genus AGLAJA Eenier, 1804. 



Aglaja RENIER, Prospetto della Classe del Vermi, p. 16, (1804) ; 

 Tav. di Classificazione, 1807, pi. 8 ; Osserv. Postume di Zool. Adri- 

 atica, pubblic. per cura del R. Instit. Ven. a Studio del Meneghini, 

 Venezia 1847, p. 3-8, pi. 16. Not Aglaja QY Aglaia Albers et auct. 

 mult. Doridium Meckel, Ueber ein neues Geschlecht der Gastero- 

 poden, Beytr. Vergleich. Anat. i, zweites Heft, p. 33, (1809), and 

 of authors generally. Acera CUVIER, Mem. sur les Aceres, in Ann. 

 Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, xvi, p. 9, (l&lty.Eidothea Risso, Hist. 

 Nat. Eur. Merid., iv, p. 46, (1826). Melanochlamys CHEESEMAN, 

 Trans. N. Z. Inst., xiii, p. 224, (1881). Poster olranchcea d'ORBiGNY, 

 Voy. dans 1'Amer. Merid., p. 201, (18S7t).Bullidium LEUE, Dis- 

 sert de Pleurobranch, p. 10, (1813). .Lo&an'aBLAiNViLLE, Manuel 

 de Malac., p. 478, (1825).? Philinopsis PEASE, P. Z. S. 1860, p. 21. 



For anatomy see BERGH, Die Gruppe der Doridien in Mittheil. 

 Zool. Stat. Neap., xi, p, 107-135, pi. 8, and Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 

 xxv, p. 205-222. 



See above for characters. 



This genus was first indicated by Renier under the name Aglaja 

 in his Prospetto, 1804, but it was not characterized until his Tavolo 

 di Classificazione appeared in 1807, in which the group is very well 

 defined, with descriptions and figures of the two Mediterranean spe- 

 cies. The name has been generally dropped by malacologists in 

 favor of Meckel's term Doridium, published in 1809 ; but such a 

 course is wholly without justification. There is a genus Aglaea in 

 plants (Persoon, 1805), and the name Aglaja (and Aglaia) has been 

 several times used in zoology, but clearly subsequent in every case 

 to Renier's diagnosis. The other synonyms, Acera Cuv., Eidothea 

 Risso, Melanochlamys Cheesem., etc., are later and absolute synonyms. 

 Posterobranchcea Orb, was founded upon an error, the dorsal being 

 mistaken fot the ventral surface of the body, reversing the positions 

 of all asymmetrical organs, and bringing the transverse groove of 

 the back below. Philinopsis of Pease seems to be another synonym, 

 but in the absence of definite information I have inserted it at the 

 end of the genus Aglaja. 



Geographic Distribution. 



Mediterranean : A. tricolor ata and depicta. 



E. coast of Africa: A. cyanea, nigra, guttata. 



Australia and New Zealand : A. marmorea, lineolata, cylindrica. 



