KDITORIAI, NOTES. 239 



was accompanied almost every day by ihe roar of cannon, and saddened Ijy the 

 news of the loss of relations or friends. In any case, it stands as a remarkable 

 testimony of what science can do, under conditions than which none more grievous 

 can be imagined. a.h.c. 



Mr. Gude's new volume on the mollusca, in the Fauna of British India series, 

 will be heartily welcomed by conchologists, dealing as it does with such a fascinat- 

 ing group as the Land Operculates. Moreover, India, Ceylon and Burma are the 

 headquarters of some of the most curious of the operculate genera, notably those 

 which for purposes of respiration have developed a minute tube on the body-whorl 

 near the aperture ; such are Alyctcics, Spiraculuin, Opisthoporiis, Rhiostotna, and 

 Pterocyclos (we see no need to adopt Nevill's emendation of Pterocyclus). 



The volume contains 386 pages, with two photographic plates, and many text- 

 figures, and deals with four families — Tnmcatellidcc with one species, Assiiiiineidie 

 with six species, Helicinidic with eleven species, and CyclophoiidiV to which the 

 other 96 per cent, belongs. The author tells us in his preface that the total number 

 of species admitted is 572, of which 170 have been described by Godwin-Austen, 

 and that out of the 145 Alycanis the same writer is to be credited with 102. 



The system of classification adopted is mainly that of Kobelt, as set forth in the 

 i6th Lieferung of the Tierreich. 



Three generic names give way to prior but less familiar ones, viz., Caiaiilus to 

 Tortulosa, Hybocystis to Pollicaria, and Coptocheilits to Schistoloiiia, and Nodopo- 

 matias is proposed to replace Eupomatias Godwin-Austen noti Wagner. Looking 

 at the list of species, one is struck by the enormous development of a few groups : 

 thus. Cyclop horns, though split into five subgenera, forms a very homogeneous 

 group of 66 species, though we suspect that eventually there will be some reduction 

 of this total ; Cyathopoma has 41, Tortulosa 28, Diplovuiiatina 82, and Alyccciis 145, 

 so that these five genera supply nearly 64 per cent, of the total. Of the eleven 

 Helicinas only three occur on the mainland ; the others are all from the Andaman 

 and Nicobar Islands. This enormous genus is predominantly insular. 



The whole volume appears to be compiled with that painstaking and commend- 

 able accuracy which the author has led us to expect by his previous work, and we 

 must congratulate him heartily. The only criticism that occurs to us is in regard to 

 the ascription of several specific names to Chemnitz. These Chemnitzian names die 

 hard, but die they must ! 



It would be a further asset in the value of these monographs if the location of 

 type specimens could be stated where ascertainable. In the case of the operculates 

 a very large proportion must be in the British and Indian Museums. 



Systematic Position of Conus marchionatus Hinds. — This elegant little 

 shell is usually placed in the section Marmorei Weink. ( = Conns, typical, of Linne) 

 a section with whose remaining members it has no affinity except in its general 

 pattern of colouring and comparative weight, characters which are of no primary 

 importance for purposes of classification. The shell itself is conical, smooth, 

 sliining ; spire acuminate, depressed, channelled, 3-striate, deeply notched at the 

 suture ; shoulder smooth, carinate, with no trace of nodules or coronations. Colour 

 yellowish-brown, with many rounded, white, triangular spots. In all these par- 

 ticulars, except the relative height of the spire, which may be ignored as too 

 variable a factor, and the colour scheme, which is of specific value only, the shell 

 agrees with the group Ainmirales Weink. ( = Leptocontis SVvainson) which is to all 

 appearances the proper group in which to include it. — A. L. HoPWOOD {Read 

 before the Society, February nth, 1920). 



