436 



FUNAFUTI ATOLL. 



by the "Challenger" at Fiji and Tonga, and under the synonym of 

 C. lineatum, Lk., is reported by Melvill and Standen from the 

 Loyalties ; and by Schmeltz from Cook's Islands. 



CERITHIUM PHAROS, Hinds. 

 Tryon, loc. cit., p. 149, pi. xxix., fig. 68. 



Mr. G. Sweet brought one specimen from Funafuti. Tryon re- 

 ports this from Fiji and the Paumotus. In this Museum it is 

 represented from New Caledonia, New Hebrides, and Hawaii. 



CERITHIUM ELEGANTISSIMUM, sp. nov. 



(Fig. 24). 



Shell tall, narrow, ovate fusiform, with a prominent 

 varix behind the last whorl, flattish beaded whorls 

 and a deeply excavated suture. Colour, russet 

 brown, shading on the base into burnt umber, 

 irregularly picked out on longitudinal ribs with 

 white. Whorls eleven, rather flattened, separated 

 by deep and sharply incised sutures, last whorl 

 almost equalling in length the remainder, and no 

 broader than the penultimate. Sculpture weak 

 longitudinal ribs continuously and perpendicularly 

 cross the lower three whorls, fading away on the 

 periphery of the last. These form gemmules on 

 the spiral cords ; on the earlier whorls these can 

 be also traced. A particularly stout varix occurs 

 Ion the last whorl opposite the aperture, a corner 

 of which is shown in the illustration. Immediately 

 beneath the suture winds a slender cord ; four spiral rows of 

 gemmules encircle the space between it and the periphery, the 

 uppermost of which tends to split into two ; the remaining space 

 between the periphery and the anterior extremity is occupied by 

 seven simple cords which become more slender and close anteriorly ; 

 the upper whorls have but two beaded cords. The aperture is 

 perpendicular and oval, strongly variced without and consequently 

 shelved within ; columella arched, with a thick brown callus ; 

 canal very short and wide, slightly recurved. Length 5, breadth 

 2 mm. 



Abundant on stones in shallow water in the lagoon at Funafuti. 

 A specimen before me from Thursday Island, Queensland, 

 differs slightly from the above in the greater prominence of the 

 longitudinal ribbing. 



CONTUMAX, gen. nov. 



A genus of the Cerithiidfe, nearest allied to Cerithiopsis. It 

 shares with that the excavated base, the produced canal, and the 

 unfinished aperture ; but differs by greater size, broader shell, 



Fig. 24. 



