on M. Des/iayes' Monograph of Dentalium. 199 



Shell nearly straight, attenuated at the apex, its diameter increasing 

 much more rapidly than in the other species, with 17 or 18 rather blunt 

 longitudinal ribs, with a smaller one between each : all the ribs nearly 

 obsolete at the wider extremity ; posterior fissure short, dorsal. 



A few specimens were preserved in Mr. G. Humphrey's collection 

 with the following label, " white striated Elephant's teeth, per S. Sea 

 *' ships, supposed New Zealand." 



D. annulare. 



D. test^ tenui, elongata, Isevi, striis annularibus tenuissimis, confer- 

 tissimis, annulis subprominentibus, distantibus; long. 2-%, diam. 



Shell slender, much lengthened, smooth, with close-set very slender 

 striae ; and somewhat prominent distant rings. 



From the East Indies, according to G. Humphrey. In my collection, 

 and in the Brit. Mus. 



In conclusion I take the liberty of copying a sentence from page 17 

 of Deshayes's Monograph, where, speaking of Dentalium corneum of 

 Linn., he says " Sowerby, frompe comme le plus grand nombre de ses 

 " devanciers, a figure dans son ' Genera of Shells,' deux de ces etuis 

 " d' insectes parmiles Dentales; il est vrai qiCil ne les y place qxC avee 

 " doute." In reply to this observation, I shall only copy my own words 

 on the same subject; naturalists will then judge whether or not I was 

 deceived and will acquit me of giving these etuis d' insectes a place in 

 the genus Dentalium, even with doubt. " We do not venture to assert 

 " that these also are Dentalia, but we have given a drawing of them 

 " in our plate, because of their great similarity in form ; they are of a 

 " corneous, not a shelly substance, closed at the larger end and attached 

 " to each other by a similarly corneous ligament; what they are we do 

 *' not even dare to guess." 



G. B. S. 



