V L U T A Pusio, 

 Dwarf Volute. 



Generic Character. — See PI. 161. 



Specific Character. 



V, testd ovuto-ohtusd, JIavcsccnte, fasciis pallidis, macuUs fulvis inter' 

 stinctis cincfd; anfractu hnsali ohtiisc nudoso ; spird brevissimd, 

 acutd ; columella incrassutd, multiplicatd. 



Shell ovate-obtuse, yellowish, with pale bands and fulvous spots ; 

 body whorl crowned by compressed obtuse nodules ; spire 

 very short, acute ; pillar thickened with many plaits. 



Voluta Pusio. S~ivainso?i, in Tilludis Ph. Journal, vol. 61. p. 378. 



l^AM aeck's recent account of this genus, in the last volume 

 of his Auimmix, contains but two species in addition to those 

 long ago described by him in the Annales du Mus.; thus 

 omitting many of those new Volutes which of late years 

 have been discovered. On the other hand, this naturalist 

 has created five species from the varieties of V. nimica Lin. 

 resting their characters on colour, bands, and the number of 

 the lesser or spurious plaits on the pillar. It requires no 

 argument to prove that these principles of distinction are 

 the most uncertain he could have chosen ; scarcely two 

 specimens of V. musica being found alike. These supposed 

 species must, therefore, again merge into one. 



The shell before us has more important characters ; the 

 body whorl is quite smooth, but crowned by compressed 

 truncated nodules; the spire remarkably short, and the tip 

 acute ; in other respects it approaches to V. virescens Sol. 

 {Polyzonalis Lam.) and to V.fulva Lam. I have neither of 

 these shells at present before me ; but if Lamarck's descrip- 

 tion of them, and the figures which he has cited, be correct, 

 I have no doubt they are but one species ; V. pu/j/zonalis 

 being the smooth, and V.fuloa being the nodulous variety of 

 Solander's V. virescens. In fact, Lamarck says both shells 

 are transversely striated. 



V. pusio is a shell of the greatest rarity, and is described 

 from a specimen in the collection of my friend Mr. Broderip. 

 Its form is perfect, but its colours are somewhat faded. 



PI. 181. 



