OF SOUTHERN INDIA. 79 
convenience—is actually the case with many of our so-called genera of shells, cannot 
be questioned, but it is the study of the development of organic beings, which must 
be the essential guide in adopting a nomenclature in accordance with the progress of 
natural science. 
Pictet enumerates (Mat. Pal. Suisse. 3 me. ser., 2 pt., pp. 679—681) 42 cretaceous 
species of Voluta from Europe, and several from other countries. But these numbers 
must submit to very considerable changes. We shall note here the principal alter- 
ations which seem desirable, and some additions which have been made known since. 
The first 12 species noticed by Pictet—if Gueranger’s and D’Orbigny’s species 
(in “ Prodrome”’) be correct—will probably stand. The Voluta elongata, D’Ovb. 
(see Fulguraria id. page 87) is not identical with Fusciolaria elongata, Sow., which 
species must provisionally remain as a Fusciolaria. 
Voluta deperdita, Goldfuss, is probably a Fulguraria. 
The next six species, from the German cretaceous deposits, are all more or less 
doubtful, but nothing can be done with them at the present. Extensive compari- 
son and careful examination of better materials will alone enable a final disposal of 
these doubtful names. 
The species given by Pictet as Nos. 20—35 and described by Zekeli from the 
Gosau deposits have been critically examined by myself,* and reduced to the follow- 
ing species: Volutilithes fenestrata, Zek.; Voluth. acuta, Sow. (V. subacuta, D’Orb., 
V. Bronni, fimbriata and gibbosa, Zek.); Voluth. Casparint, D’Orb.; Voluth. (Ful- 
guraria) elongata, D’Orb.; Voluth. coxifera and carinata, Zek. The Gosau deposits, 
therefore, add only four new species to the number already known. 
Miller reported four additional species from the cretaceous beds near Aachen 
(Aix la Chapelle), of which the Vol. cingulata and Benedeni are rather more like 
Fasciolarie, although they may belong to Volutilithes or an allied genus. Mitra 
Murchisoni of Miller, belongs probably to Fulguraria, and it is even very ques- 
tionable if it be really different from Ful. elongata, D’Orb. The Vitra pyruli~ 
formis, Miller, probably belongs to our new generic type, Ficulopsis, in which case it 
must be transferred to this sub-family. Careful examination would also seem to 
bring in a similar change with Melongena rigida, Miiller (ibid. p. 78, Pl. 8, Fig. 22), 
which may belong to Volutilithes. Thus the number of species from Aachen may be 
five or six, when these proposed alterations can be better established. Binkhorst 
describes, in addition to the Voluta deperdita, Goldfuss, three new species, of which the 
V. monodonta is very much like the Gosau VY. acuta, Sow., and may prove identical. 
With these alterations we admit not more than about 32 species as at present 
known from the cretaceous rocks of Europe, and of these, I believe, only one is as 
vet known from England. 
The Voluta rigida, Baily, from South Africa, has been identified by me with a 
South Indian Fasciolaria, but, on the other hand, three species have to be noticed 
from Algiers, described by Coquand.t These are Voluta Baylei, algira and pusilla, 
* Sitzb. Akad. Wien. 1865, Bd. LIT Revision, pp. 70, &c. 
+ Geol. et. Paleon. Constantine, 1862, pp. 182 and 183, Pl. I, Fig. 11, Pl. V, Figs. 10 and 11. 
