6i 



NOTE UPON TROPHON UMBILICATUS, 

 TENISON WOODS. 



By henry SUTER, 



Auckland, New Zealand. 



A short note on Murex octogonus, Q. and G., and M. iimhilicafus, T. 

 Woods, by Mrs. Agnes F. Kenyon,^ induced me to study the 

 specimens at my disposal, and I wish here to publish a short account 

 of the results arrived at. 



The literature I was able to consult reveals the following facts : 

 Trophon umhilicafus was described by Tenison Woods in 1875,- from 

 specimens obtained on the east coast of Tasmania. He says that at 

 one time he considered it to be a Tasmanian variety of T. lianleyi, 

 Ang. 



Bednall in 1886,'^ classed it under Murex odorjonus, Q. and G., 

 and he has no doubt of the identification of the S. Australian shell 

 with M. odogonus. He also states quite correctl)-, " In New Zealand 

 the species attains twice the size it does in these waters." 



The same shell had already been described by A. Adams in 1853,* 

 under the name of Murex scalaris, which name, however, is preoccu- 

 pied by Brochi for a fossil shell. T. Woods was no doubt not cognisant 

 that the species had already been described. 



In his " Catalogue," Brazier^ gives the synonyms and localities for 

 M. iimhilicahi-^, T. Woods, which are repeated in the Proc. Linn. Soc, 

 N.S.W., 1894 (2 ser.), vol. viii, pp. 116, 117, where he states : "There 

 is not the slightest connection between M. odogonus, Q. and G. and 

 umJiilicatus, T. Woods ; the former is a large shell with very fine lirae 

 between the longitudinal Urate ribs ; the latter is a much thicker and 

 smaller shell with a large umbilicus margined with rounded imbricated 

 scales." 



Dr. Verco" enumerates Murex umlnlicatus, T. Woods, and remarks 

 that " Tryon in his Manual, vol. ii, p. 155, has placed it in Urosal- 

 jnnx, which he describes as having a purpuroid operculum. But 

 this species has a muricoid operculum, and belongs to the genus 

 Murex. It was formerly confounded with M. odogonus, Q. and G." 



1 Proc. Malac. Soc. Lond., igoo, vol. iv, p. 39. 



2 Papers and Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasmania, 1075, p. 135. 



3 Trans, and Proc. Rep. Roy. Soc. Sth. Ausl., 1S84-85 [publ. 1SS6], vol. viii, p. 64. 



4 Proc. Zool. Soc, 1853, p. 71. 



5 Catal. Marine Shells of Australia, 1893, parfiii. 



6 Trans. Roy. Soc. Sth. Aust., 1895, p. 96. 



