236 PROCEEDINGS OF THE MALACOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



the description of Buccinum brunneum, was not published till 1804, 

 SO that Montagu's Buccinum minimum, 1803, evidently has priority. 



The B. minimum of Montagu was accepted by all the early 

 conchological writers, Maton & Rackett, De Blainville, Dillwyn, 

 and possibly Wood, whose figure, however, suggests a hairy shell. 

 Fleming, who called it Fusus minimus, was the first to throw doubt 

 on its determination as a Buccinum. 



In 1826 Kisso ^ described three new genera of Gastropoda — 

 Lachesis, Anna, and Nescea (two species) — which call for special 

 comment. The descriptions of these are not very precise, but the 

 figures are very clear, and if correct, appear to me to show that 

 neither Lachesis, nor Nescea has anything to do with Montagu's 

 Buccinum minimum ; this conclusion is supported by the definitions 

 of the genera, so far as they go. 



The type of the genus Anna, which Risso placed with the 

 Pleurotomidas, more nearly resembles our shell, but differs from it 

 conspicuously in size, being 10 mm. long, whereas Buccinum minimum, 

 Mont., rarely exceeds 5 mm. Anna, moreover, was a fossil form. 

 All traces of this type appear to have been lost, and I can find 

 no mention of later date of an undoubted Anna. Thus it seems 

 inadvisable, considering the uncertainty with which this genus is 

 enshrouded, and its slight resemblance only to Buccinum minimum, 

 to refer the latter to it. 



After this date we find Montagu's shell masquerading under 

 a variety of names ; it becomes the Nassa minima of Brown, and, 

 according to some, the Fusus subnigris of the same author, but this 

 I think doubtful, since that shell is considerably larger than 

 Montagu's. 



It seems to me extremely probable that a slightly larger 

 Mediterranean species * of the same genus, having more whorls than 

 Montagu's shell, has been confused with the latter, and as such 

 I should regard Buccinum minimum, Philippi, B. rubrum, Potiez & 

 Michaud, and Fusus turritellatus, Deshayes. 



Further confusion regarding Montagu's shell was introduced by 

 Grey,^ when he revived Kisso's genus Anna, and regarded A. Massena, 

 Risso, as synonymous with Buccinum minimum, Mont., Fusus turri- 

 tellatus, Desh., and Buccinum Scacchianum, Philippi, thus confusing at 

 least two, if not three or four, perfectly distinct shells. B. Scacchianiim, 

 Philippi (= Purpura picta of Turton and of Scacchi, and Nassa picta 

 of Brown), is probably a Columbella, and in no way resembles Buccinum 

 minimum, Fusus turritellatus, or Anna Massena. Grey also regarded 

 Risso's two genera Lachesis and Nescea as identical and as synonyms 

 of Pi&ania.^ 



1 Nat. Hist., torn, iv, pp. 211, 214, and 233, pi. v, figs. 65, 67, 68, and 69. 



2 Monterosato mentions five Mediterranean species of the genus Lachesis 



(? — Donovania). 

 •^ Proc. Zool. Soc, 1847, p. 134. 

 * T.c, p. 133. 



