362 



NOTE ON ODOSTOMIA LUTEA Garrett. 



By J. COSMO MELVILL and ROBERT STANDEN. 



(Read before the Society, May 9th, 1906). 



Odostomia LUTEA GaiTett, a smooth, oblong, fusiform species from 

 New Caledonia and Lifu, is most variable in coloration, so much so 

 indeed, that there can be but little doubt that it has been thrice 

 described, under different specific names. We think it worth while 

 to give, in each instance, the original descriptions more or less in full, 

 as follows: — 



1. Odostomia lutea Garrett.^ — "Shell elongate, subulate, smooth, 

 shining, luteous-yellow; spire long, the upper half tapering more rapidly 

 than the lower; apex acute; whorls 9-10, flatly convex, last one sub- 

 angulate near the base, obsoletely striated by lines of growth; suture 

 impressed and margined beneath; aperture widely ovate, about one- 

 fourth the length of the shell; peristome thin, nearly straight, 

 obsoletely angulated at the base; columella slightly callous, somewhat 

 reflexed so as to form a slight umbilical fissure, and distinctly plaited. 

 Length 7 mm. 



Hab. : Viti Isles. (Coll. Garrett.) 



Three examples found on a sandy mud-flat." 



2. Odostomia rufula Souverbie^. — " Testa fusiformi, sat solida, 

 nitida, Icevi, longitudinaliter teniiissime striata^ striis prope labrum 

 magis cofispicuis, basi vix conspicue spiraliter striata, mfulo-fulva, bast 



flavidido-alba ; anfr. g? [apice fracto et anfr. 7 inodo ?mi>ierante), 

 sutura impressa dtscretts, subconvexis, ultimo ^ longitudinis vix 

 cequante. Apert. piriformis superne angulata, margi?iibus callo tenui 

 junctis, labro sub-acuto, columella subobliqua, superne plicam subascen- 

 de/item gerente. Long, {apice fracto excluso') 7, lat. max. 2'^Ji^ mill.; 

 apert. 2 mill, longa, z^ lata. {Mus. Burdigalense). Spec. 2 vidi. 



Var. : /^ alba, fulvo tinizonata. 



Hab. : Ins. Lifou (Loyalty), Archip. Caledon. (R. P. Lambert). 



Coquille fusiforme, assez solide, lisse, luisante, tres finement striee 

 longitudinalement, les stries pres du labre etant plus apparantes, a 

 peine visiblement striee spiralement a la base, fauve roussatre, d'un 

 blanc un peu blond a la base; tours 9? (sommet fracture et dans cet 

 etat en ayant 7) separes par une suture imprimee, subconvexes; le 

 dernier (igalant a peine le ^ de la longueur totale. Ouverture piri- 

 forme, anguleuse dans le haut, a bords rdunis par une mince callosity, 



1 "Descriptions of new species of marine shells inhabiting the South Sea Islands," Proc. 

 Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia^ p. 236, pi. 3, fig. 50, 1873. 



2 "Descriptions d'especes nouvelles de I'Archipel Caledonian," /w<r«. de Conchyl., vol. 23, 

 p. 290-291, pi. 13, fig. 7, 1875. 



