NOTE ON CASSIS PAUCIRUGIS Menke. 



By AGNES F. KENYON. 



(Read before the Society, Sept. 9th, 1903. 



1843. Cassis paucirugis Menke, Moll. Nov. HoU., p. 23, no. 107. 

 1848. Cassis paucirugis Reeve, Conch. Icon., vol. 5, pi. 8, fig. 19. 



1844. Cassis pyrtan Lam., An. s. Vert., vol. 10, p. 33. 



1848. Cassis pyrum Reeve, Conch. Icon., vol. 5, pi. 11, fig. 29. 

 1857. Cassis pyrum Reeve, Conch. Cab., p. 29, pi. 47, fig. 56. 

 1872. Cassis pyrum var. Jiivea Brazier, Proc. Zool. Soc, p. 616, 



pi. 44, fig. I. 

 1880. Cassis pyrum Hutton, Man. New. Zeal. Moll., p. 66. 

 1885. Cassis achatina vax. pyruju Tryon, Man. Conch., vol. 7, p. 278, 



pi. 8, fig. 96 to 98. 

 1885. Cassis tumida Petterd, Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasmania, p. 321. 

 1899. Cassis pyrum Pritchard & Gatliff, Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict., p. 189. 

 1901. Cassis pyrum Tate & May, Census Marine Moll, Proc. Linn. 



Soc. N.S.W., p. 456. 



The descriptions of C paucirugis and C. pyrum do not quite coin- 

 cide, but it seems to be generally accepted by the scientific world that 

 they are synonyms, although it is singular, almost astonishing, that 

 their resemblance escaped Reeve's notice, especially as he mentions 

 having seen several specimens of C paucirugis, including the type 

 specimen forwarded to him by Dr. Menke. The fact, therefore, of 

 Reeve not appreciating that both species of Cassis could be classed 

 under the same appellation is accentuated by his remarks about C. 

 zealatidica Lam. "not having characters of sufficient permanence to 

 distinguish it." Cassis pyrum is a comparatively plentiful shell, and 

 is also very variable in its characters, but seems to retain a thin 

 and light fabric in almost every instance, unlike most forms of the 

 genus Cassis, which are of a heavier and more solid construction. I 

 should be inclined to consider that the smooth oblong variety with 

 convex whorls is the best representative of C. pyrum, "the pear Cassis," 

 an unusually fine specimen of which has just come to light at San 

 Remo, Westernpoint Bay, Victoria. Hitherto, the size of the largest 

 specimens known has been from 2 '5 to 3^5 inches in length, and some 

 specimens are very much smaller, but the specimen in question is 

 4'75 inches in length, 8 inches in circumference, 3'5 inches breadth, 

 2 "5 inches lateral height. This specimen is quite smooth and inflated 

 without varices, the blackish-brown blotches behind the reflected lip 

 are not visible on any other portion of the surface, which is covered 

 with irregular rows of chestnut-brown maculations. The blackish- 

 brown blotches I consider the same as are to be observed behind the 



