SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



89 



Gorilla humberti, and Mr. John Ponsonby also 

 possesses specimens of a similar form under the 

 same name ; but on submitting one of my specimens 

 to the describer of that species, Dr. A. Brot, 

 of Geneva, he informed me at once that it was 

 not Gorilla humberti, but rather, he thought, a 

 variety of Gorilla erronea, of Albers. Dr. Brot 

 obligingly forwarded one of the only two speci- 

 mens of Gorilla humberti known to exist in collec- 

 tions, so that, thanks to his kindness, I am 

 enabled to give a figure of it for comparison with 

 its allies. 



There appears to be a certain amount of 

 confusion with regard to the limits of some 

 species, as well as to the position and number of 

 teeth or plates in some of the Cingalese members 

 of the genus, and it is hoped that the present 

 notes may help to elucidate some of the doubtful 

 points. The new shell is certainly distinct from 

 all the published species of the group, and I have 



Fig. 2.— Gorilla fryae. Fig. 3. — Corilla erronea. 



much pleasure in associating with it the name of 

 the lady to whose kindness I am indebted for this 

 valuable addition to my collection.* 



• Gorilla fryae, n. sp. — Testa late umbilicata, ovato-rotun- 

 data, discoidea, solidula, rufo-castanea, planulata, oblique 

 costulata, subtus valde concava, striata, pernitida; spira 

 plana, sutura vix impressa. Anfr. 5 vi.x convexiusculi, inter 

 suturam at peripheriam valde angulati, ultimus subtus 

 ornatur striis spiralibus quae secundum latus lineis vel rugis 

 impressiS obliquis decussantur; antice convexior, valde 

 dilatatus, profunde descendens. Apertura obliqua, obtuse 

 subcordata, lamellis 3 parietales (media elongata, validaque, 

 laterales niinores, profundaeque). 4 palatales flexuosae, 

 longulae, perlucentes, 3 ab apertura visibiles. Peristoma ex 

 albido purpurescens vel rufo-castaneus, callosum valde 

 reflexum, margo superior sub-dentate crassior, inferior dente 

 valido atquae quadrato armatur. — Diam. maj. 26, min. 20, 

 alt. 8 mm. Hab.— Albion Estate, Lindula District, Ceylon. 



Corilla fryae differs from Corilla erronea (compare figs. 3a 

 and 36) in being more rounded in outline, larger, darker in 

 colour and more shining beneath, the ribs are more regular 

 and less coarse ; the whorls are less convex, almost flattened 

 and distinctly angulated, almost keeled, midway between the 

 suture and the periphery, while the suture is less impressed ; 

 the last whorl is more constricted, and suddenly widens 

 towards the aperture, becoming again constricted behind the 

 peristome, and it is more deeply deflected in front ; the 

 mouth is much less oblique, the palatal folds are longer and 



Several of the specimens being more or less 

 weatherworn, I had the less compunction in break- 

 ing away parts of the walls at \arious points, so as 

 to examine their internal structure thoroughly, and 

 to report thereon v/ith precision. To enable the 

 reader to understand the following remarks, 1 will 

 here mention that those teeth or plates found on 

 the inner wall of the shell are known as parietal, 

 while those on the outer wall are called palatal. 



Fig. ^.— Gorilla fryae. 



In fig. 4a, the parietal plates are shown on the 

 left and the palatal on the right of the aperture : 

 the figure shows a perfect shell of Gorilla fryae. 

 To the left of the aperture the median plate will be 

 observed reaching outwardly up to the extreme 

 margin of the parietal callus, while the tips only of 

 two other plates, one on each side of the median, 

 can be discerned. I propose to designate them by 

 numerals, and, beginning at the top of the shell, 

 the first will of course be No. i, the median No. 2, 

 and the next No. 3, In fig. ^b, a part of the 

 outer wall has been removed, and the edge thus 

 exposed is shown perpendicularly to the line of 

 sight ; here on the right the curved and revolving 

 parietal plates Nos. i and 3 show their inner 

 terminations, while a reference to fig. 4^ will 

 explain why parietal plate Xo. 2 is invisible in the 

 former figure, as it terminates at about half the 

 length of Nos. i and 3, and there unites with the 

 former. To return to fig. 4^', on the left four 

 palatal plates will be observed, which will be 

 numbered i, 2, 3 and 4 respectively, from the top 

 of the shell downward. 



It will be noticed that No. i curves upwards 

 towards the shell-mouth (not shown in the figure), 

 while No. 2 interlocks between the parietal teeth 

 Nos. I and 3, and as it curves upwards towards the 



more flexuous, and the tooth on the basal edge of the peris- 

 tome is longer and more quadrate ; in this latter respect, as 

 well as in contour and shape, the new shell more resembles 

 Conlla odontol'hora. The specimens were all collected on 

 the edge of a jungle where a new clearing was being made, 

 on the Albion Estate, Lindula District, Ceylon (tigs. 2, 4, 5,6). 



