TAYLOR : NOTES ON THREE SPECIES OF CYPR,T,A. II5 



greenish, freckled with oHvaceous markings ; its most distinguishing 

 feature is, however, its transverse trifasciation, the central band some- 

 times broken up into zigzag flames, sometimes duplicated, and 

 occasionally only the central band being present ; the sides are 

 yellowish-ash colour or tawny, with numerous, rather large blackish 

 spots, the base is pale ochreous or dusky-ash colour, conspicuously 

 spotted. 



I submitted also to Mr. Melvill my specimens of C. nebnlosa, sug- 

 gesting to him that I thought they had much more affinity to C. 

 petitiana than to C. zonata, to which he replied : — 



"There is some external resemblance, particularly to C. petifiaua, 

 but I think no real alliance; the lateral clouding and spotting of 

 C. nebnlosa shows it nearer to C. pnncfnlata Gray, C. zonata Chemn., 

 C. picta Gray, and that group. Your specimens quite agree with four 

 I have, all exactly alike, and which are from the same locality. River 

 Gambia, West Africa." 



C. cernica Sowerby. — 



This shell has been confused by numerous authors, both in their 

 figures and publications, as a variety of C. spnrca Linne \ with these 

 I entirely disagree, contending as I do, that C. cernica is an absolutely 

 distinct species. 



In shape, C. cernica is totally different, much shorter; and in 

 mature specimens rounder, wnth the lateral margins angulated and 

 turned upwards in the middle towards the dorsum ; these margins 

 are excavated and pitted, with obscure dots all round the rim, which 

 dots do not coincide with these fovese. The dorsum is ochreous- 

 yellow, sprinkled all over with round white spots, well separated from 

 each other. The sides and base are pure white, the latter convex. 

 In length, C. cernica only attains 17 — 27 mm., while C. spurca is 

 much larger, reaching at times 40 mm. 



The habitat of these two species is very important. Apart from the 

 consideration of structural differences, the broad line of demarcation 

 in habitat is too well defined in C. spitrca and C. cernica to admit of 

 one being merely a geographical variant ; otherwise surely the two 

 forms would sometimes be found in proximity, and of this I can find 

 no instance recorded. 



C. cernica occurs throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from 

 Mauritius to New Caledonia. C. spiiira is found in the Mediter 

 ranean, Azores, and all down the west coast of Africa as far as the 

 Cape of Good Hope ; and in the case of C. acicularis Gmel. (which 

 has the base pure white), throughout the Antilles ; I have several 

 specimens of this from Cayman Brae, West Indies. 



