6 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS [VOL. 50 



The prevalent type belongs to a section of Volutoderma having a 

 peculiar facies already alluded to, and which we propose to call 

 Rostcllinda. Of these there are five species confounded by Stoliczka 

 under one name which belongs to none of them. They are mostly 

 large shells with axial ribs and shouldered whorls, the whorl exca- 

 vated in front of the suture, the sinus near the suture, the axial 

 sculpture feeble, the spiral sculpture stronger on the spire or weaker 

 or obsolete on the last whorl. The species are Volutoderma (Ros- 

 tellinda) stoliczkana Dall 1 (type); V. (R.) cxcavata Dall 2 ; V. (R.) 

 tcmia Dall 3 ; V. (R.) media Dall 4 ; V. (R.) teinostoma Dall 5 and 

 perhaps V. (R. ?) trichinopolitensis Forbes ; and V. (R.) multistri- 

 ata Stoliczka. 7 Besides these, there is a species resembling Caricella 

 Conrad, but which according to Stoliczka has a globular nucleus and 

 a complete layer of enamel over the whole shell. It was described as 

 Voluta fyriformis by Forbes and will form the type of a new genus 

 Liomclon Dall. 8 There are one or two other species which probably 

 belong to Volutoderma, but which, owing to their imperfect state, 

 it is more prudent to leave undiscussed. 



In addition to the species belonging to the group under discussion, 

 there are a number of forms belonging to the Volutidse of the Indian 

 Cretaceous which, by the peculiarity of their columellar folds and 

 general type of form, are evidently the forerunners of the genus 

 Plejona, which only attains its fully characteristic development in 

 the Eocene, and of Volutocorbis, which has persisted through sub- 

 sequent ages and is represented in the recent fauna by several spe- 

 cies. The anatomical examination of one of these has shown that 

 Volutocorbis is a well characterized genus perfectly distinct from 

 Plejona or V olutilithes , and, in the adult, with a thickened and inter- 

 nally dentate outer lip. 



The analogous fauna of the Gosau district among the northeastern 

 Alps was treated by Sowerby and Stoliczka, and monographed by 

 Zekeli. The synonymy of the species has been vastly confused by 



1 Cret. Gastr. India, Stoliczka, pi. vn, figs. J (type) and 6. The names here 

 given by the present writer are new. 



2 Opus cit., pi. vn, fig. 5. 

 s Opus cit., pi. vn, fig. 3. 



* Opus cit., pi. vn, figs. 9 (type), 4, and 8. 



3 Opus cit., pi. vn, figs. 2, 2rt (type), and fig. 1. 



6 Opus cit., pi. vi, fig. 6, Scapha gravida Stoliczka. 



The figures agree so perfectly that I cannot doubt their identity. The form 

 referred to Forbes' species by Stoliczka, at any rate, cannot be identical with it. 



7 Opus cit., pi. viii, figs. 1, 2, 3, very imperfect. 



8 Opus cit., pi. vi, figs. 9, ga, Mclo pyriformis Stol. 



