382 



Mr. Cosmo Melvill on the 



Another interesting point about this shell is its slightly- 

 raised and rough olive brown bands, from which it takes its 

 specific name : these are regular and equidistant ; and, 

 speaking generally, the species presents but little variation. 



(IX.) Geographical Distribution. — When, three years ago, 

 I gave some notes upon the genus Cyprcea^ I prepared a 

 slightly modified version off Mr. A. R. Wallace's six regions, 

 which, considering the very wide range of certain shells, e.g.^ 

 Peristernia nassatuia, causes the small alterations proposed 

 advisable, especially as these regions were devised more with a 

 viewtoelucidate the distribution of terrestrial than marine life. 



Several species are of doubtful locality, and, actually, a 

 few, even now their area is extended, fall into two or more 

 sections, and are thus counted twice. 



Latirus and Peristernia. 



Region. 



No. of 

 Species. 



(a) Nearctic ; i.e., United 

 States & Canadian Coasts, 

 Atlantic, and Pacific. 



(<^) Neotropical ; z.i?., Mexico, 

 and Central American 

 Coasts, Gallapagos Isles, 

 W. Indies and South 

 America, Atlantic and 

 Pacific. 



(<:) Palcearctic ; here simply 

 including European Seas 

 proper, with both shores 

 of the Mediterranean, 

 Madeiras and Azores. 



8 



Region. 



i6 



{d) Ethiopian ; including 

 African Coast, Madagas- 

 car and the Mascarene 

 Islands in the Pacific, C. 

 de Verdes and Canaries 

 in the N. Atlantic, also 

 S. Helena and Ascension 

 Isles in S. Atlantic. 



[e) Australian ; here sig- 

 nifying Australia, Tas- 

 mania, New Zealand, and 

 the Fiji Isles. 



(/) Oriental ; embracing 

 Chinese Seas and Japan- 

 ese, E. Indies, Polynesia, 

 Persian Gulf, and Red 

 Sea, also all Indian Seas 

 and Ceylon. 



No. of 

 Speci es. 



38 



25 



55 



* Vide Vol. I., 4th Series, Mem. and Proc. Manchester L. & Phil. Soc. pp. 

 184, sqq. 



+ Vide The Geographical Distribution of Anitfials^ 2 Vols., by Alfred 

 Russel Wallace. 



