1901.] ON MOLLUSKS FROM THE PERSIAN GULF. 327 



5. The Mollusca of the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and 

 Arabian Sea, as evidenced mainly through the Collections 

 of Mr. F. W. Townsend, 1893-1900 ; with Descriptions of 

 new Species. By James Cosmo Melvill, M.A., F.L.S., 

 F.Z.S., and Robert Standen, Assist. -Keeper, Manchester 

 Museum. 



Part I.— CEPHALOPODA, C-ASTKOPODA, SCAPHOPODA. 



[Received June 4, 1901.] 



(Plates XXI.-XXIV. ') 



It is certainly remarkable that the nineteenth century should 

 have passed away without any serious attempt to chronicle sys- 

 tematically the Mollusca inhabiting the Persian Gulf and Arabian 

 Sea having been made, and more especially so, since the waters of 

 the last named wash the Western shores of our great Indian 

 Empire itself, where are situate, amongst other towns of lesser 

 note, those two important centres of commerce and civilizing 

 influences, Karachi and Bombay, either of which might, one 

 cannot help thinking, have ere this have provided both the 

 opportunity and the man to carry out so desirable a project of 

 research. 



However, there have been, during the past forty years especially, 

 several distinguished pioneers in the field, such well-known names 

 occurring to the mind at once as the late Dr. F. Stoliczka, the late 

 Mr. Geoffrey Nevill, formerly of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, 

 his brother Mr. H. Xevill, the late Dr. S. B. Fair bank of Bombay, 

 the late Mr. Henry F. Blanford, F.R.S., formerly Meteorological 

 Reporter to the Indian Government, Mr. W. T. Blanford, F.R.S., 

 formerly of the Geological Survey of India, besides the late 

 Dr. Anderson, F.R.S., and J. Wood-Mason, late Superintendent 

 and Deputy Superintendent of the Indian Museum respectively; 

 and lastly Dr. A. Alcock, F.R.S., whose deep-sea dredgings, mostly 

 in the Bay of Bengal, or amongst the Laccadive group, just south 

 of our proposed limit as regards the Mollusca treated of in this 

 paper, have resulted in so many discoveries. Most of the above- 

 named Naturalists collected material more or less largely, and, 

 indeed, went further in contributing various treatises and papers 

 from time to time, which form the bases of our knowledge. 



In addition, mention must be made of the late Major Baker, 

 author of a short list of Karachi Mollusca"; Mr. W. 1>. Cumming, 

 of the Persian Telegraph Service; the late Mr. K. MacAndrew, 

 donor of much valuable material, especially of Col. Pelly's collections 

 from the IVrsian Gulf, many species of which have been described by 



' For explanation ofthc Plates, 666 |>. 169, 



■ woodward, .Man. Moll, ed ii, p, 78. 



