766 MB. W. T. BliANFOBD ON SHELLS OF THE [June 6, 



Amongst the specimens sent to me for examination by Col. Bed- 

 dome is a single shell from the Wynaad which appears to be a still 

 larger form, measuring 8, 6, and 4 mm, 



Steeptaxis scalptus sp. nov. (Plate L. figs. 8, 9, 10.) 



Testa rimato-jperforata, subumbilicata, dejyresso-ovata, costulato- 



striata, subtus laevigata, cereo-albida ; spira depresso-conoidea, 



sutura impressa j anfr. 5^-6, convexi, penultimus ad 



peripJieriam rotuiidatus, paullo ultra ultimum projectus, 



ultimus excentriciis, subtus convexus, versus aperturatn circa 



umbilicum compressus, utrinque fossiculo impresso coarctatus ; 



apertura obliqua, fere semiovalis, lamellis plerumque duobus 



parietalihus ap>proxlmatis, sinistrali media hngiore intrante, 



dextrali minore, aliquando carente, dentibusque ad quatuor 



(interdum 2, 3 vel 5) palatalibiis constricta ; jjeristoma album, 



expansiusculum, juxta angulum m,ediocriter sinuatum. Diam. 



max. 10, mill. 7 ; alt. 5| m.m. 



Hab. in montibus Kolamalai dictis, hand procul ab urbe Salem 



Indiae meridionalis (Beddome), et in provincia Kadur, regni Indici 



Mysore (Daly). 



This, like some other South Indian Streptaxes, is a very variable 

 species. Even amongst specimens from the Kolamalais some shells 

 are much more depressed than others, the largest examined 

 measuring 11^, 8g, and 5| mm. in its three diameters, whilst the 

 smallest measures 8|, 6^, and 4|. The single specimen from 

 Balur, in the Kadur district of Mysore, measures 10, 7|, and 5|. 

 Then the palatal teeth vary in almost every individual examined : 

 the normal arrangement appears to be two in the right margin, one 

 of them opposite the end of the median parietal lamella, the other 

 nearer the angle, one basal or distal, and one columellar nearer to 

 the distal extremity of the aperture than to the proximal end. 

 Some specimens (as in fig, 8) have two columellar teeth ; in one shell 

 the basal and columellar teeth are wanting, but this is evidently 

 abnormal- Even in the excentricity of the last whorl, shown by 

 the extent to which the penultimate projects when viewed from 

 below, there is some variation. 



This species is distinguished from most of the South Indian 

 Streptaxes by its subcostulate striation. The species with similar 

 sculpture are S. promts, which is smaller and very differently 

 shaped, and 8. canaricus and S. subacutus, with the penultimate 

 whorl keeled. 



A single specimen from Torna was obtained some 30 years ago 

 by Col, Evezard and has been in my possession ever since. It was 

 noticed in " Contributions to Indian Malacology, No. xii." (J. A. S. B. 

 xlix. pt. 2, 1880, p. 205), as coming from the most northern locality 

 in Peninsular India from which a Streptaxis has been obtained. 

 Torna is a Mahratta hill-fort, near Sinhgarh, south-west of 

 Poona. The Torna shell is large (length 11 1, breadth 8|, height 

 6 mm.) and somewhat weathered, with the whorls slightly sub 

 angalate below the suture and with traces of spiral sculpture on 



