8 SOWERBY : MARINE SHELLS OF S. AFRICA. 



Voluta Africana Reeve. — Only worn and broken specimens 

 of this very rare species have hitherto been found. 



Marginella piperata Hinds. — Several distinct varieties 

 besides the var. albocincta already mentioned, which we 

 may call as follows : — var. strigata, longitudinally streaked, 

 mostly smaller than the type; var. lutea, yellowish, with 

 brown spots and short linear markings, usually larger than 

 the type ; var. lineata, with fine transverse dotted lines. 



Mitra merula n. sp. — Testa elongata, snbfustfoi'mi, nigiv- 

 fusca, nitida, longitudinaliter costata, spiraliter sub-obsolete 

 sulcata ; spira elata, apice obtusiusculo ; anfractus 7, leviter 

 convext ; sutura impressa ; anfr. ultimus, ad basin leviter 

 attenuatus ; apertura elongata ; fauce fusco-nigra, colmnella 

 albida, quadriplicata, labrum mediocriter arcuatum, hand 

 sinuatum. 



Long. 17, maj. diam. 6, apertura longa 7, lat. 2 mill. 



A small, nearly black species allied to M. ebenus. 



Marginella floccata n. sp. — Testa sub-ovata, grisea, maculis 

 albidis floccatis aspersa, maculis minutis sparsis nigro-fuscis 

 notata ; spira conica, albida, maculis grandibus fusco-griseis 

 picta, mediocriter elata, apice obtuso ; anfractus j", planato 

 declives, sutura leviter impressa, ultimus obtuse angulatus, 

 infra angulum levissime convexus, lateribus rectiusculis ; 

 apertura mediocriter lata, columella rectiuscula, quadriplicata, 

 labrum incrassatum, reflexum, albutn, margine externa 

 nigrofusco notato. 



Long. 2g, maj. lat. 75 mill. 



A beautiful specimen of this species in perfect condition 

 has been submitted to me by Mr. Bairstow. It is the only one 

 I have seen excepting a couple of much worn and almost 

 colourless shells, which I take to belong to the same species. 

 The shell may be regarded as intermediate between M. piperata 

 and M. mosaica. 



J.C, vi., Jan., 1889. 



