﻿SMITH 
  : 
  ON 
  ACJI^-EA 
  BOMBAYANA, 
  N.SP., 
  ETC. 
  

  

  357 
  

  

  identification 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Abercrombie. 
  The 
  species, 
  however, 
  should 
  be 
  

   placed 
  in 
  the 
  genus 
  Suhemarg 
  inula. 
  It 
  has 
  never 
  been 
  figured, 
  and 
  

   without 
  examining 
  the 
  type 
  it 
  is 
  almost 
  impossible 
  to 
  know 
  its 
  true 
  

   relationship. 
  

  

  No. 
  5. 
  Patella 
  aster, 
  Reeve, 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  only 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  

   genus 
  hitherto 
  met 
  with 
  at 
  Bombay. 
  It 
  is 
  variable 
  in 
  colour 
  ; 
  the 
  

   white 
  rays, 
  which 
  are 
  inconstant 
  in 
  number 
  (although 
  nine 
  are 
  often 
  

   observable) 
  are 
  hardly 
  visible 
  external]}^ 
  in 
  some 
  specimens. 
  In 
  the 
  

   type 
  the 
  nine 
  rays 
  are 
  very 
  striking, 
  as 
  the 
  shell 
  figured 
  by 
  Reeve 
  has 
  

   been 
  much 
  cleaned. 
  In 
  one 
  example 
  collected 
  by 
  Major 
  Peile 
  the 
  

   dark 
  rays 
  are 
  so 
  broken 
  up 
  that 
  the 
  markings 
  hardly 
  look 
  like 
  

   radiations. 
  

  

  Pilsbry 
  (Man. 
  Conch., 
  vol. 
  xiii, 
  p. 
  147) 
  unites 
  this 
  species 
  with 
  

   the 
  Patella 
  novemradiata 
  of 
  Quoy 
  & 
  Gaimard, 
  described 
  from 
  the 
  

   Mauritius, 
  but 
  as 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  feel 
  convinced 
  of 
  the 
  certainty 
  of 
  the 
  

   identification 
  I 
  prefer 
  to 
  name 
  the 
  Bombay 
  shells 
  P. 
  aster, 
  about 
  

   which 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  doubt, 
  since 
  a 
  comparison 
  of 
  the 
  series 
  of 
  specimens 
  

   collected 
  by 
  Major 
  Peile 
  proves 
  their 
  identity 
  beyond 
  question. 
  It 
  

   seems 
  to 
  me 
  more 
  likely 
  that 
  the 
  Mauritian 
  novemradiata 
  may 
  be 
  

   a 
  form 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  African 
  species, 
  e.g. 
  rota, 
  Gmelin, 
  or 
  cape7isis, 
  

   Graelin. 
  The 
  animal 
  of 
  P. 
  aster 
  has 
  not 
  hitherto 
  been 
  studied, 
  but 
  an 
  

   examination 
  of 
  the 
  radula 
  shows 
  that 
  this 
  species 
  belongs 
  to 
  the 
  genus 
  

   HelcionisGus, 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  located 
  by 
  Pilsbry. 
  

  

  ACM^A 
  BoMBAYANA, 
  U.Sp. 
  FigS.. 
  A-C. 
  

  

  Testa 
  ovato-rotundata, 
  mediocriter 
  elata, 
  vertice 
  paulo 
  antemediani, 
  

   fusco 
  et 
  albo 
  radiata, 
  interdum 
  minute 
  fusco 
  reticulata, 
  radiatim 
  

   tenuiter 
  striata, 
  striis 
  incrementi 
  tenuissimis 
  sculpta 
  ; 
  radii 
  albi, 
  ssepe 
  

  

  in 
  paribus 
  dispositi, 
  radio 
  fusco 
  intermedio 
  quam 
  cseteris 
  pallidiori 
  

   divisi 
  ; 
  facies 
  interna 
  alba, 
  area 
  centrali 
  pallide 
  olivaceo-fusca, 
  limbo 
  

   definite 
  albo 
  et 
  rufo-fusco 
  notato, 
  hand 
  crenulato. 
  Long. 
  17"5, 
  

   diam. 
  15, 
  alt. 
  6*5 
  mm. 
  

  

  