OF SOUTHERN. INDIA. 319 
shell is very variable in all species of Capvxim, which during lifetime are more 
or less continually attached to foreign objects, and often alter its shape, or at least 
that of the peristoma, according to different forms of these. If a distinction can be 
traced in the form of the muscular impression, there would be more reason to 
retain the genus. 
Chenu (Manuel, I, p. 329,) also quotes, in addition to the above genera, the 
remarkable miocene shell which has been named by Rang Spiricella, and which is 
apparently more correctly placed by other conchologists in the family Umerextipa of 
the OPISTHOBRANCHIA. 
In a geological point of view there are few other families of Gastropoda of equal 
importance with the Caputis. For while the Cazyprrina are scarcely known* 
with sufficient accuracy from beds lower than the cretaceous, the Carurr.s are 
largely represented already in the lowest silurian rocks, and upwards through all the 
secondary and tertiary deposits. Many of the paleeozoic species exhibit certain 
peculiarities and have consequently been distinguished by separate names. One of 
these is Acroculia, Phillips, which differs very slightly from Capulus. Hall also 
introduced for another group of silurian Caruzix the name Platyceras, Conrad, 
(Nat. Hist. of New York, Paleont. III, p. 309). Several of the forms of Platyceras 
are scarcely to be distinguished from others which have been described under the 
name of Strophostylus, Hall. The typical forms of this last genus appear to-belong 
to the Vzzurinipaz. It is also possible that some of the paleeozoic species usually 
called Huomphatlus or Straparolus will be shown to belong to the Caruzzpa. 
The oldest forms of the CapuLip2 from the lower silurian rocks have a thin shell, in form very 
much resembling Umérella and Tylodinad. When lately at Prague, I had an opportunity of 
examining several of these oldest known and really very simply formed Gastropoda, as pointed out to 
me by Mons. Barrande, the illustrious author of the “Systeme Silurienne de la Bohéme.” From 
triassic and liassic beds comparatively only a few species are known. 
Of cretaceous species, Pictet (Pal. Suisse, Foss. Ste. Croix, p. 691,) enumerates ten, from which 
number he thinks the Cap. arquatus, Miinst., (in Goldf. pl. 168, fig. 13,) ought to be excluded. It 
does not, however, seem to be of any advantage to refer this species to another genus, until the 
originals have been examined. In the new edition of Goldfuss’ Petref. Germanie it is retained 
as Pileopsis arquata, (vide Giehel’s Repert. to Goldfuss’ Petr. Germ., 1866, p. 90). Of the ten 
cretaceous species Cap. elongatus, Mist, sp. (= C. lituus, Ryckholt), the doubtful C, arguatus, 
Miinst., sp., Cup. militaris and carinifer, Miller, seem to belong to the genus Capulus ; Cup. rhyn- 
choides, Ryckholt 3 Cap. [Hypponyx|] Dunkerianus, Bosquet (of which there is a very good figure 
in Binkhorst’s Monog. Gast. et Ceph. Craie de Limb., 1861, p. 58, pl. 4, fig. 12, and pl. 5, fig. 7), 
Cap. ornatissimus and consobrinus, D’Orbigny, Cap. flewicostatus, Ryckh., are probably species of 
Cochlolepas. 
C. Troschelt, Miiller, is a very peculiar form, having on each side a ridge running from the 
apex to the periphery which is at that place slightly insinuated. These characters differ from those 
of any known species of Cochlulepas, to which it can only provisionally be referred until more 
and better preserved specimens have been examined. The species in some respects recalls the genus 
Metoptoma, Phill., of the GapiniDZ. 
We have nothing to add to the CaPuzip# from our S. Indian cretaceous deposits. 
* A Calyptrea calyptrata, Schrenk, is reported from the upper silurian of HEsthland and Russia. 
