1871. J DR. J. COX ON NEW LAND-SHELLS. 643 



The female and young will probably be green, as in the case of 

 C. luteovirens ; at least I find a stray feather or two of that colour 

 on each side of the body of the London specimen. 



Mr. Moore, to whom I am indebted for many kind attentions, has 

 favoured me with the following note respecting this lovely species : 



" The bird I now send was obtained by Mr. Thomas Binns Robson 

 of New Brighton, Cheshire, during his visit to the Fiji Islands in 

 September 1867, and was presented by him to the Derby Museum 

 on his return to England. Mr. Robson was so good as to give me 

 the following information respecting it : — The native name is Bull 

 ndamu. It appears to be not infrequent in the locality where he 

 shot it, Mbua, a native town and missionary settlement on the 

 south-west of the Island of Vanua Levu, and the principal place of 

 resort in that district. He described it in glowing terms as appear- 

 ing, from its gorgeous colouring, 'like a flash of light,' even at the 

 distance of a quarter of a mile ! Its note resembles somewhat the 

 cracking of the thumb and finger ; and the natives by resorting to 

 this expedient induce the birds to answer, and thus to betray their 

 whereabouts when out of sight. Mr. Robson could not give me any 

 information respecting its nest and eggs, nor of its food, except the 

 general fact that it feeds on berries. 



" The singular and remarkable plumage of the bird at once attracts 

 attention, the entire body being of a rich orange-colour, as bright as 

 that of the Rock-Manakins (Rupicol<z) ; while "the head is of a green 

 hue, and the under surface of the wings fine yellow." 



PS. Since the above remarks were in type, Mr. Sclater has for- 

 warded to me the following note : — " Dr. Eduard Griiffe has already 

 spoken of the existence of this bird, in his article on the Ornithology 

 of Polynesia, in Cabanis's 'Joum. f. Orn,' 1870, p. 418. Dr. Graffe 

 saw a specimen of it living in a cage at Levuka, Ovalau, belonging 

 to an English lady." Thus it is evident that this Pigeon is capable 

 of domestication ; and we may therefore hope that ere long living 

 examples may be sent to this country. 



6. Description of a new Volute and Twelve new Species of 

 Land-Shells from Australia and the Solomon Islands. 

 By J. Cox, M.D., C.M.Z.S. 



[Eeceived November 6, 1871.] 

 (Plate LII.) 



Voluta (Amoria) Australia, sp. nov. (Plate LII. figs. 1, 1 a.) 



Shell fusiform, rather thin : spire short, acuminated, apex erect, 

 finely papillary ; whorls smooth, 5|, the last angled round the upper 

 part ; columella strongly four-plaited, prominent aud thin ; sutures 

 vitrified ; aperture rather long and narrow, lip simple, interior of 



