1883.] LIEUT.-COL. GODWIN-AUSTEN ON SOCOTRAN SHELLS. 7 



whom I submitted these shells for comparison with those in his fine 

 collection, and who has made this group his especial study, con- 

 siders it a variety of M. pagoda. He remarks : — " Unfortunately 

 young specimens, but quite identical with the form I received from 

 Mauritius, and which I consider is a variety ot M pagoda, Lea." 



M. datura and M. pagoda, both closely allied, it will be seen, range 

 from Mauritius and Socotra to Ceylon and the Philippines. 



Melania PAGODA, Lea. (Plate II. fig. 10.) 



Shell ovately turreted, with short spines, thin ; sculpture, well 

 marked carinate spiral ribbing ; colovu* dark brown with some few 

 darker spots ; spire high, turretted ; whorls 4, decollate, angulate 

 above near suture, sides flat, 15 spinelets on the body-whorl ; aperture 

 ovate, rounded below ; peristome thin. 



Size: — 



Major diam. 8, alt. apert. 8, alt. axis 14-5 millira. 

 „ 0-31, „ 0-31, '„ 0-56 inch. 



This form of the species is represented in Mr. Brot's monograph 

 on plate 28. fig. 5 h. 



Melania sclateri, n. sp. (Plate II. fig. 8.) 



Shell not mature, turreted ; sculpture, 6 or 7 spiral ribs on each 

 whorl ; colour ruddy ochre, with a broad band of black at the 

 suture, which extends some distance on each side ; spire elongate ; 

 suture shallow ; whorls probably 10 when entire, the last whorl 

 rather flat ; aperture narrowly ovate. 



Size : — 



Major diam. 3*8, alt. axis 8*5 millim. 

 0-15, „ 0-33 inch. 



The above is from an imperfect specimen with only 3^ whorls ; 

 but as the coloration of the shell is so marked, and Mr. Brot says it 

 is unknown to him, I have described it under the above title, and 

 give two figures : — one, of the largest specimen ; and the other, of 

 one out of the four or five quite young examples in the collection. 



It is similar in coloration to M. histrionica of Reeve, which is a 

 variety of ili. balleuta {vide Brot's Monog. p. 364, plate xxxvii. fig. 6) ; 

 but this species has been placed in another subgenus, Vibex, and 

 its form and sculpture are also very difi^erent. M. sclateri belongs 

 to the group of M- tiiberculata; and I notice that a Ceylon example 

 of M. scabra, figured by Mr. Hanley in the ' Conchologia Indica,' 

 possesses a broad band of colour on the last whorl. I have named 

 this species after Dr. Sclater ; for it is entirely owing to his exertions 

 in organizing the expedition that we know so much of the ex- 

 tremely interesting fauna of the island of Socotra. 



Melania sclateri, jun. (Plate II. fig. 7.) 



Shell very young, elongately turreted ; sculpture, four distinct 

 spiral ribs ; colour ochraceous, with a broad dark baud on each whorl 



