OF SOUTHERN INDIA. 83 
strongest. Of this species we know only the figured specimen, which, although 
characteristic enough, is in many respects imperfect; the termination of the anterior 
extremity and the outer lip not being preserved, have been restored in outline 
according to their probable shape. 
Locality—From a white sandy limestone near Ninnyoor in the Trichinopoly 
district. 
Formation.—Arrialoor group. 
XIV. MELO, Humphrey, 1797. 
(H. and A. Adams’ Genera I, p. 159 ; II, p. 616; Chenu’s Manual, I, p. 186.) 
The ventricose form and the callose covering are characteristic for the species 
attributed to this genus, in which certain sub-divisions, at least two, according to the 
presence or want of spines on the posterior portion of the outer lip, must be allowed 
to be of great convenience ; it would probably be better to retain only the species 
with the former character under the name Cymbiwm. 'There are several upper and 
lower tertiary species, which belong to this genus, but the cretaceous species to be 
now described is to our knowledge the only secondary representative. It bears in 
every respect the characters of the genus, and is on the whole much like our 
Melo indica of the neighbouring seas, so much indeed, that this can be regarded as 
only an offspring of the fossil species. 
1. MELO PyRiFoRMIS, Forbes, sp. Pl. VI, Fig. 9. 
1846. Voluta pyriformis, Forbes, Trans. Geol. Soe. Lond. VII, p. 180, Pl. XII, Fig. 1. 
Bs . D’Orbigny, Gabb, Pictet and others. 
I. testa pyriformi, spira brevissima, late conica, callositate plus minusve tecta ; 
anfractibus quinis, fere planis, sutura impressa sejunctis, primis mamillatis ; ultimo 
inflato, antice valde prolongato, attenuato; superficie polita, levissima ; apertura 
elongata, postice acuta, antice effusa; columella callosa, quadriplicata : plicis antice 
versus obliquioribus atque fortioribus. 
Spiral angle 90°—100°; sutural angle 5°—8°. 
Height of last whorl: total height (taken as 100) 0°80—0-90, 
This fine species approaches, as already stated, very closely to Helo indica, Gmel., 
one of the typical forms of this genus. The embryonal whorls are somewhat enlarged, 
resembling a mere globule; the others are nearly plane, and impressed along the suture, 
somewhat contracted about the middle; the last whorl envelopes the greatest por- 
tion of the previous, leaving a very short broadly conical spire visible. Usually 
there are only about five volutions present. The shell is very thick throughout, but 
especially along the suture, where it reaches high up on the preceding volution. 
In a perfect and probably full grown state, it was covered with an enamel coating, 
giving thus to the surface a smooth and polished aspect, in which case the sutures 
are marked with only obsoletely impressed lines. When this coating is removed, 
the fine strize of growth and also the sutures become clearly visible. 
