THE NAUTILUS. 79 



A NEW JAPANESE LIMPET. 



BY H. A. PILSBRY. 



In the pages of tlie Kautilus some months ago, the writer 

 described a new species .of Patella collected in Japan by Mr. 

 Frederick Stearns of Detroit, jSIich. It was with great surprise that 

 still another large and apparently undescribed species was received, 

 in a recent sending from the same source. 



The new species, which it is proposed to call Patella Boninensis, 

 was seen and j^urchased by INIr. Stearns at the Third National 

 Exhibition at Tokyo, in 1890. It belongs to the subgenus Helcion- 

 iseus, as far as shell-characters enable one to judge. 



The shell is large (90-100 mm. in length, 40 in alt.), solid, erectly 

 conical, of a somewhat soiled buff color. It is sculptured with from 

 48-53 riblets, which vary from crenulated to markedly tubercular. 

 The interior has a snow-white muscle-scar, surrounded by a broad 

 brown zone, outside of which there is a .«ilvery zone of equal wadth, 

 the extreme edge being narrowly bordered with brownish or yellow. 

 The central callus is creamy Avith a dark border of umber-brown. 

 From each of the lateral angles of the " head-piece " of the central 

 spatula, diverges a brown streak. 



The nearest ally of this species is apparently the Patella nigri- 

 squamata of Reeve's Conchologia Iconica, vol. 8, pi. 2, figs. 3a> 

 3b, a species reported by Reeve from Australia, but of which I have 

 specimens from the Province of Concepcion, Chili. Reeve's species 

 differs in having the central spatula of the interior constantly much 

 smaller, having no diverging streaks, etc. 



The Japanese know this species as Yome-gaisara or " Bride-cup 

 shell." 



The species of Patella now known from Japan may be tabulated 

 as follows : 



S/ie// more or less silvery or iridescent inside {^Helcionisciis.^ 



Conical, having about 50 strong, close, elevated riblets, alternating or subequal 



[in size. 

 Large, light buff; border of the inside narrow, yellowish, P. Boninensis Pils. 

 Variegated with brown ; border of the inside conspicuously black-blotched, 



P. Stearnsii Pils. 

 Conical, having several smaller riblets in each inter\'al between the laiger ribs, 



P. pallida Old. 

 Ribs fine or obsolete. 



Solid, with radiating dark lines; spatula brown or orange ; ribs obsolete, 



P. nigtolineata Rve. 



