MOLLUSCA OF THE ' CHALLENGEfi EXPEDITION. 373 



1. Fusirs (Metula) philippinaeum, n. sp. 



St. 210. Jan. 25, 1875. Lat. 9° 26' N., loug. 123° 45' E. 

 Philippines. 375 fins. Mad. Bottom temperature 54°-l F. 



Shell. — Strong, porcellaneous, pale ruddy brown, fusiform, 

 long, subscalar, with feeble ribs and with spiral threads ; the 

 whorls are slightly angulated ; the mouth long, with a slight emar- 

 gination above, and an open triangular canal in front. Sculpture. 

 Longitudinals — there are on the upper whorls about 15 small, 

 sharpish, straight, bluntly mucronated ribs, which are feeble on 

 the shoulder beneath the suture, but stronger below ; on the 

 later whorls these are less distinct and more oblique, becoming 

 flexuous on the base ; these correspond exactly with the delicate 

 crimpings of the lines of growth. Spirals — the whole surface is 

 covered with fine, regular, and equal narrow threads and broader 

 furrows ; of these, on the penultimate whorl there are about 15, 

 the centre one of which is thrown into prominence by a slight 

 angulation, very marked on the earlier but feeble on the later 

 whorls. Colour pale ruddy brown, with a flinty pellueidness, 

 especially toward the apex, and more of whiteness toward the 

 point of the snout. Spire high, conical, subscalai*. Apex con- 

 tracting abruptly to a smaU raised point, formed by about three 

 smooth rounded embryonic whorls, which are not sharply distin- 

 gviished from those which follow, the regular sculpture making 

 its appearance gradually. Whorls 8 in all ; the upper ones have 

 a sloping shoulder, are augulated in the middle, and are cylindrical 

 or slightly contracted below ; the last is more rounded, and is 

 produced into a Ion g and pointed base ending iu a triangular 

 conical snout. Suture slightly channelled. Mouth loug and 

 pear-shaped. Outer lip thickened internally with a strongish 

 white varix, between which and the sharp patulous edge the 

 spiral threads of the exterior sculpture are just visible ; it is very 

 slightly emarginated above near the body, and well arched 

 throughout, till along the canal, where it is straight but oblique. 

 Inner lip straight across the body, hollow in the middle, and 

 straight but unusually oblique down the whole pillar, which is 

 not in the least twisted : a thin layer of glaze narrowly spreads 

 along its whole length. Operculum thin, subtriaugular, pointed 

 behind, and bluntly so in front at the apex, which is subterminal, 

 but slightly coiled in to the inner side. H. 0'9. B. 0-39. Penul- 

 timate whorl, height 0-16. Mouth, height 0-52, breadth 0'2. 



This specimen is classed as a Metula with considerable doubt : 



26* 



