330 MESSES. MELVILL AND STANDEN ON [June 18, 



indeed described fully enough to satisfy the more exigent require- 

 ments of the present time. Great care has also been taken in 

 the comparison with the types described by the Rev. E». Boog 

 Watson as collected during the voyage of the s.s. ' Challenger.' 



In many instances we had to be content with descriptions or 

 figures, notably in the case of the Marquis de Folin's species 

 (mostly Andamanese), or M. Velain's. These last consist mainly 

 of Turbonillce and Odostomice from the South Indian Ocean, one 

 or two of which are found to occur in our lists. The Erythraean 

 species also, mostly described by Arturo Issel and Dr. F. Jous- 

 seaume, have so far as practicable been examined. Certain Medi- 

 terranean species exhibit near alliances, but we believe the 

 axiom a correct one, that only about a dozen species are common 

 to the northern and southern shores of the Isthmus of Suez, 

 though since the Canal was opened for traffic a few have extended 

 their boundaries, and the numbers will probably increase yearly. 

 It is fortunate, therefore, that investigations as to this point were 

 made beforehand. 



We are informed by Mr. W. T. Blanford, that the greater 

 portion of the large collections made by him ' some time ago, off 

 Gwadur, on the Mekran Coast, and Tumb Island, Persian Gulf, 

 and one or two other localities, are in the Indian Museum, 

 Calcutta, and that only a few have yet been worked out, it being 

 otherwise happily with his Bombay series, which are in the British 

 Museum, and have been of the greatest service to us. We feel it to 

 be unfortunate that circumstances have not allowed an examination 

 of these stores at Calcutta, and not only of these, but of the 

 collections made by Messrs. Geoffrey and Hugh Nevill, also, we 

 believe, in the same museum. The former (Mr. G. Nevill) indeed 

 treated of a few families in his fragmentary ' Hand-list of the 

 Mollusca in the Indian Museum,' but even in this publication 

 too many are put down as ' species nova?,' with neither name, 

 description, nor figure added. 



It will be noted that we have included some of these references, 

 mainly of Bissoidce and Pleurotomidce, in order that the list may be 

 made as representative and perfect as possible. 



It would take far too much space to closely dilate upon the 

 peculiarities of the fauna of the Persian Gulf: suffice to say, that 

 the section Leptoconus of Gonus here attains its maximum develop- 

 ment, while many peculiar Mitrce and Nassce occur. Nassaria and 

 Cyllene abound, rare in most other seas. Oliva hardly occurs, while 

 Ancilla is well represented. Valuta is absent ; but certain species 

 of Marginella, some handsome (obtusa), others small, but mostly 

 apparently endemic, are very frequently met with throughout the 

 whole area. Some peculiar and beautiful Scalarice, Cancdlariai, 



1 Cf. Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, vol. xliv. pt. 2, p. 103, where Messrs. Q. & 

 H. Nevill estimate the number of species collected by Mr. W. T. Blanford at 

 from 600 to 700. 



