OF SOUTHERN INDIA. 61 
IV. Fumily,—DOLIIDZ. 
(Vide H. and A. Adams, Genera, p. 195; Gray’s Guide, 1857, p. 40.) 
There are usually only two genera distinguished— 
1, Doliwn, Lamk. 1801 ( ? Browne). 
2. Malea, Valenc. 1833 (Cadiwm apud Adams). 
The second genus forms through its thickened outer-and inner-lips a transi- 
tion to the Cassrprp#. The Dozmpmx are almost uniformly distributed, but 
sparingly represented in the temperate and tropical waters ; there are at present only 
22 recent species known; the number of the tertiary fossil species does not much 
exceed half that of the recent ones, and from cretaceous beds there has been only 
one species described by Sowerby (Min. Conch., Vol. V. p. 34., Pl. 426 and 427) as 
Dolium nodosum from the lower chalk of Clayton in Sussex. D’Orbigny transferred 
the species to Strombus, as St. nodulosus—and Pictet and Campiche (Mat. p. 1. Pal. 
Suisse, 3me. Ser. Foss. Ste. Croix., p. 583) are of opinion, that it is most probably 
a Pterocera, which from its resemblance to Pterocera incerta, D’Orb. certainly 
appears very likely to be the case. Unless, however, this supposition is confirmed 
by new discoveries, any such alterations can only be provisional. 
V. LFunily,—CASSIDIDZ. 
Shell ventricose, spire short, the last volution enveloping the previous to a great 
extent ; aperture elongated, generally narrow; margins more or less thickened and 
toothed or plaited; anterior canal generally distinct, short and re-curved upwards ; 
posterior canal seldom distinct, usually only indicated by a depression on the margins. 
The surface of the shell is generally richly ornamented with spiral sulci or transverse, 
often interrupted, ribs. 
The animals are not less characteristic than the shells. They have mostly a 
long neck with not very distinct head, long proboscis and tentacles with the eyes on 
the outer side, sessile on well developed short bulgings. As regards the dentition they 
are TaNIocLossa (Gray). The foot is generally large and dilated, resembling that 
of Ranella and Tritoniwm, the former genus being (in parte) placed by Gray in this 
family. The animals of Ranella and some genera of the Cassidide are in fact 
nearly identical, but the shells exhibit some very noteworthy differences, which do 
not seem to be in favour of Gray’s classification of Ranella. It is indeed difficult 
to assign a proper transitional place to this family. The animals appear to form 
directly a passage from the Crpraipz, Oxzirip# and Harprpz to the Trrronipa, 
Buccrnip#z and Mvricipms, while the shells of several forms of the Cusszprp# are 
undoubtedly most nearly allied to the Pzzevrorowrps, for which reason we have 
placed them here. 
Although the Cusszprpz by no means belong to the eategory of rare shells, 
there still exists so much controversy as regards the number and names of the 
BR 
