41 

 FURTHER NOTES ON BURSA RUBETA L. 



By CHARLES HEDLEV 



(Read before the Society, October i6th, 1915). 



So intricate was the web which error and repetition had wrapped 

 round the name of Murex lainpas that for a century and a half the 

 identity of that Linnean species was lost. Mr. E. A. Smith has 

 lately succeeded in showing that this name originally covered at least 

 two species and that it should be restricted to the Lamarckian Triton 

 nodiferum. For the residue he established Bursa rnbeta with several 

 varieties.-^ 



Commenting on this classification, Mr. E. G. Vanatta" suggested 

 that Bursa rnbeta as thus presented by Mr. Smith comprised three 

 species, and that the species name should date from 1758 rather than 

 from 1798. 



The two Linnean names concerned in this matter, bubo and mbeta, 

 depend on the figures of Rumphius. From the uncharacteristic 

 dorsal view presented by the Dutch engraving either figure might 

 refer to any of the rnbeta group. But Rumphius says that his 

 Bucciiiea tuberosa has "the inside white like porcelain," and this, 

 supported by the large size, seems to fix Afurex rana var. bubo Linn. 

 definitely as Bursa rubeta var. giganiea Smith. It was said by 

 Ferussac (Tabl. Syst., 1821, p. 73) that the collection of Rumphius 

 was preserved at Amsterdam. If it is still there this point may yet 

 be verified. I have seen this species from Gela, Solomon Islands. 

 For the Murex rana var. rnbeta Linn, we may be content to accept 

 Bolten's rendering as endorsed by Morch and Smith. 



But Bolten's Trito7iium bufo seems to be distinct from bubo Linne 

 and to be identical with B. rubeta var. lissostoma Smith. This species 

 I have collected at Lord Howe Island, and seen from Noumea, New 

 Caledonia. It is probably that which Angas has recorded'' from 

 the Macleay River, N.S. Wales. 



For these reasons it is proposed to resolve the Bursa rubeta com- 

 plex into the following four species : — 



Bursa rubeta Linne. 



Buccinea tuberosa rufa Rumphius : Murex rana rubeta Linn. Syst. 



Nat. X., 1758, p. 748 and Afurex lavipas rubeta Linn. Syst. Nat. xii., 



1767, p. 12 16, both for Rumphius Rariteitkamer, 1741, p. 95, pi. 



xxviii., fig. D; Tritoniuni tuberosum Bolten, Mus. Bolt. (2), 1798, 



t Smith, /o2<r«. o/Conch., xiv., 1914, pp. 226—231- 



2 Vanalta, Nautilus, xxviii., 1914, p. So. 



3 Angas, Proc. Zool. Soc. , 1077, p. i/n. 



