176 



THE SUB-GENUS CASMARIA H. and A. Adams 

 OF CASSIS Lamarck, 



By JAMES COSMO MELVILL, M.A., F.L.S. 



(Read before the Society, March 8, 1905). 



Casmaria was instituted by Messrs. H. & A. Adams in 1853 for a series 

 of the lesser helmet shells, the testaceous portion of which, to quote 

 the authors' definition/ is " smooth, whorls simple or sub-plicate, 

 spire somewhat elevated, inner lip smooth, outer lip simple usually, 

 or slightly crenate internally." It is equivalent to Cassidea Swainson, 

 1840, in parte, non Link, 1807 ; this last being identical with CyprcB- 

 cassis Stutchbury, 1837, C. mfa L. being the type. The name Cassidea 

 had previously, however, been used by Bruguiere in 1789, as a 

 synonym of the whole genus Cassis (Klein, 1753) Lamarck, 1799, 

 taken en bloc. 



Doubtless it is hard, if not impossible, to create sub-divisions that 

 satisfy in every point. In many respects C. vibex L., for instance, 

 shews a near alliance with C glauca L., or C. coromtlata Sowb., both 

 included in another sub-genus, Phaliwn Link, 1807, Bezoardica, 

 Schum., 181 7. Both these last are smooth species, once spinosely 

 spirally noduled below the sutures and, like C vibex, have the outer 

 lip four or five-spined towards the base. Varices are supposed to be 

 always present, but I have a perfectly smooth example of C. glaiica 

 without any sign of this, while, on the other hand, Mr. Standen has 

 lately kindly presented me with a very beautifully variced example of 

 vibex, perhaps a monstrous form, but scarcely distorted. At all events, 

 the Brothers Adams admit but six species in their catalogue of 

 Casmaria, as follows : — 



I. achatina Lamk. 



paucii'ugis Menke. 

 pyruni Lamk. 



4. qiiadrata Link. 



5. turgida Reeve. 



6. vibex L. 



Of these, (i) C. achatina Lamk. is typically very distinct, being 

 smooth, shining, rounded, hardly if ever noduled, but variegated and 

 tessellated witli light and dark shades of brown and grey, in an areo- 

 late manner, lip either smooth or very obtusely denticulate within. 

 Mr. G. W. Tryon, in my opinion, is quite correct in merging under 

 this species, as a good variety only, C. pyruni Lamk., marked (3) in 

 the list just given, although in its typical form it looks peculiar, being 

 thinner and more inflated than C. achatina, of a uniform bay or pale 



I "Gen. Recent Mollusca," vol. i, p. 216. 



