90 



NOTE ON TRlCriOTROPiS ANTARCTICA Melv. & St* 

 (non Thiele). 



By J. COSMO MELVILL, M.A., D.Sc, and R. STANDEN, 



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



In August, 1912, we published description,^ with figure, of an 

 interesting new Trichotropis from the South Orkney group ('"Scotia" 

 Expedition), and, since pubUcation, discovered that, also in August 

 of the same year, Dr. Thiele of Berlin'- described under the identical 

 name {antarcticd) a quite different species of the same genus. 



We are uncertain which name has priority, but, as our description 

 was issued during the last week of August, it is probable that it will 

 have to yield, in the matter of antedating. 



Accordingly, we propose to change the name to bruceana, after Dr. 

 W. S. Bruce, the energetic leader of the Scottish National Antarctic 

 Expedition. 



We also take this opportunity of mentioning that another species 

 described by us,^ Tugalia atitarctica, was antedated by one of the 

 same genus, a very similar species, being thus named in the same year 

 (1907) by Dr. Hermann Strebelof Hamburg. Dr. Thiele,'' perceiving 

 this, has re-named our species T. melvilli. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



The Annals of the Natal Museum, vol. iii., part 2, Oct., 1915, contains an 

 admirable paper of 150 pages, with 18 plates, entitled "Studies on the Carnivorous 

 Slugs of South Africa," by Hugh Watson, M.A. It opens with a history of the 

 genus Apera, and then gives an exhaustive account of the external and internal 

 structure, followed by a systematic monograph of the six species now known, and 

 a chapter on their phylogeny. This genus is only known to inhabit the maritime 

 provinces of South Africa, and none of the species are common. 



Mr. Watson next elucidates the occurrence of Testacella inaiigd at Cape Town, 

 and from an appendix on its synonymy we gather that it has been described as a 

 recent species under nine or ten names, while there are ten fossil species which may 

 very possibly be referable to it. He goes on to discuss in an extremely interesting 

 chapter the evolution of carnivorous characters, and the important modifications 

 which may be produced both in shell characters and in anatomy by the acquisition 

 of carnivorous habitSw 



Mr. Watson comes to the conclusion that most of the carnivorous genera of 

 slugs "have been derived independently from different snails by the parallel 

 degeneration of the shell " — Apera coming from the northern Rhyiididce, and 

 Testacella from the European Oleacinidcr, so that the resemblance between these 



1 Trans. Royal Soc, Edin., xlviii., pt. 2 (No. 18), p. 348, plate fig. 7 (1912). 



2 J. Thiele, Deutsche Siidpolar Exped., xiii., Zool., v. Band, Heft ii., p. 197, Tafel xii., 

 fig. 6 (1912). 



3 Trans. Royal Soc, Edin., xlvi., pt. i (No. 5), p. 128, plate fig. i (1907). 



4 J. Thiele, I.e. p. 257 (1912). 



