36 F. Stoliczka — Land-shells of Fenang Island. [No. 1, 



border of the mouth is provided with a dental comb (' peigne dentaire'), and 

 lurther on, that the buccal cavity is supplied on its inner upper surface with 

 very small sharp points (' tres petites pointes acerees'). The latter state- 

 ment evidently refers to sharp pointed teeth of the radula, but does the 

 former mean to indicate the presence of a jaw, such as exists in Veronicella ? 

 This is a question of great importance ; for if the presence of a jaw can be 

 proved, it would certainly not support the generic identification of our 

 Penang Vaginulus with Vag. Taunaysii. 



There are also a few peculiarities in the other anatomical structure, but 

 on the whole this latter well agrees with that given by Blainville of Vag. 

 Taunaysii, with the exception of one or two organs which he evidently 

 misinterpreted. 



My doubts against a generic identity of V. Taunaysii with Veronicella, 

 as formerly defined, appear to me to be supported also by external differences 

 in the shape of the body. In V Taunaysii, as well as in the Penang species and 

 in V. Tourannensis, the body is slender and high, so to say nearly cylindrical, 

 the globules on the tentacles are well developed, the appendages of the latter 

 large, the posterior end of the foot is pointed and somewhat projecting beyond 

 the termination of the mantle. In Veronicella, on the contrary, the body is 

 more depressed and of a generally more ovate shape, the lower appendage on 

 the tentacles is smaller than the tentacle itself, the end of the foot is more 

 rounded and not, as a rule at least, projecting beyond the termination of the 

 jnantle. 



E. V. Martens, when speaking of V. Taunaysi (Preuss. Exp. nach Ost- 

 Asien, Landschnecken, p. 6), says that the slight lateral expansion of the 

 mantle a,nd the higher body distinguish it from all other species collected in 

 India, and this opinion is, I think, strongly in favour of my presumed dis- 

 tinction between Veronicella and Vaginulus ; for it also exactly applies to the 

 Penang species. 



Finally, \ must draw the attention to the remarkable external similarity 

 in the form of the body of Vaginulus porulosus, Fer, (Moll. ter. et fiuv. II, 

 p. 96% pi. 8 E, fig. 5) with that a of Testacella. The former species is record- 

 ed after a drawing communicated to Ferussac by van Hasselt, and is no doubt 

 from Java or one of the adjoining islands. I think it represents a true 

 Vaginulus, and not a Veronicella, 



I have placed the above discussion before my malacologioal friends, be- 

 cause I consider a satisfactory solution of the points in question of consider- 

 able importance. The information is not easily obtainable, as the necessary 

 materials are very much scattered about. If mj suppositions prove correct, the 

 so called Agn^atha group, and especially the Testacellidje or Streptaxidje, 

 will appear before us in a quite different light, when compared with the other 



