1871.] MR. E. A. SMITH ON WEST-AFRICAN SHELLS. 727 



4. A List of Species of Shells from West Africa, with De- 

 scriptions of those hitherto undescribed. By Edgar A. 

 Smith, Zoological Department, British Museum. 

 [Received November 13, 1871.] 

 (Plate LXXV.) 



The British Museum has lately received (1870) a series of shells 

 from the Slave Coast, West Africa. They were all collected by the late 

 Capt. Knocker, It.N., the majority of them being dredged at Why- 

 dah, on the Dahomey shore. As the knowledge of precise localities 

 is always of value to the zoologist, in furtherance of a knowledge of 

 geographical distribution, I thought it would be useful to publish 

 the following list, at the same time adding descriptions of those 

 species which appear to be new to science. 



CONCHIFERA. 



1. Venus declivis, Sow. jun., Thesaur. Conch, ii. p. 730, pi. 

 157. f. 123, 124. 



Had. West Africa. 



Mr. Sowerby gives "Eastern Seas " as the locality of this species. 



2. Venus casina, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 1130. 

 Ilab. Whydah. 



This well-known European species has not been before recorded 

 from West Africa. Mr. II. M 'Andrew found it at the Madeira Islands. 



3. Dione floridella, Gray, Analyst, viii. p. 306. 

 Ilab. Whydah. 



4. Dione virgo, Gray, Cat. Cyth. Anal. viii. p. 306. 

 Ilab. Whydah. 



This species is also found at Java (Cuming). Capt. Knocker 

 collected a variety, which is of a broader and more depressed form 

 than typical specimens. 



5. Dione tellinjeformis, Phil. Abbild. Conch, iii. p. 59, pi. 9. 

 f. 1. ' 



Hab. Whydah. 



6. Trigona tripla, Linn. Mantissa, p. 545. 

 Hab. West coast of Africa. 



7. Tellina (Macoma) umbonella, Lamk. Anim. s. Vert, 

 ed. 2, vi. p. 606. 



Hab. Whydah. 



This species is also found at Port Lincoln, South Australia 

 (Angas, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 647). 



