OF SOUTHERN INDIA. 139 
exists as to the classification of the family Cozumpzzzipm among the Pro- 
SOBRANCHIA. H. and A. Adams admit it as a sub-family of the I/zrerpz, but for 
this the constitution of the shell does not seem to give any support. (Vide our 
family Voruripas, p. 75). Gray places it next to Nassa in the Muricip# only on 
account of having the nucleus of the operculum apical, while his Buccrwrpm have 
the same lateral. The animals of the Cozumprrris are rather more like those of 
Hburna and Cominella than of Buccinum, but they have, on the other hand, nearly 
as much resemblance to those of Persicula and otherI4remetrips. 
Deshayes classifies, as I have already stated, Colwmbella in the family Vozuripz, 
for which I do not see a sufficient reason. It is well known that a number of the 
living species described by different authors as Colwmbella belong properly to the 
MITRIN® or PuRPURINa (Ricinula), and when all these have been separated the 
family will form a pretty well characterised group. It appears, therefore, to us 
most advisable to regard, with Chenu, the Cozvmprrirp# as a separate family, 
and I place it here because the fossil forms indicate evidently a transition between 
the Muricip# and Trrronizp# on one and the Buccryinz and Purpvrip~ on 
the other side. The few known cretaceous species of the family belong without 
exception to 
XXXIV. COLUMBELLINA, D’Orbigny, 1843. 
Through the long posterior canal the cretaceous forms are most nearly allied to 
some tropical living forms, as C. mercatoria, harpeformis and others. Pictet (Pal. 
Suisse. Foss. Ste. Croix, p. 671) enumerates seven species; of these the two Indian 
Pugnellus must be excluded (vide our family Azara, p. 18), and we notice in their 
place another species, which appears to be a true Columbellina. The specimen, 
which was found in the Ootatoor group near Odium, is as yet unique, and is 
represented in Fig. 1 on Pl. XII. It being impossible to form the slightest con- 
jecture as to the details of ornamentation of the shell surface, we prefer not to 
name this cast specifically. There do not seem to have been any strong ribs or 
tubercles present, because there is no trace of them left on the cast, but still, the shell 
having been evidently very thick, its surface may have been very richly ornamented. 
The anterior and posterior canals and the dentition on the middle parts of the outer 
and inner lips, as well as the interior shape of the aperture, are very distinctly marked. 
The great interest which is attached to the Indian species is its occurrence 
among the few as yet known Gasrropopa from the Ootatoor group, and I would 
therefore direct the special attention of any subsequent visitor to those places to 
this interesting fossil. 
The number of known Cozvmpztzrin# from cretaceous beds is therefore to be 
reduced to six species, if actually the Col. brevis, P. and C. and Col. neoconviensis, 
D’Orb. sp. are different, and if the Indian species is distinct from those already 
known; its form recalls no doubt strongly that of Col. monodactylus, Desh. sp., but 
until the shell surface of the former is known, no support whatever can be given 
to these suggestions. . 
