1835.1 Two new species of Carinaria. 215 



have raised him to the highest rank of existences, — the Epicurus of this great 

 Oriental system, 



qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas, 

 Atque metus omnes etinexorabile fatum 

 Subjecit'pedibus! 

 What is mere figure of speech in the Roman poet, to express the calm dignity 

 of wisdom, becomes religious faith in the east ; viz. the elevation of aphilosophi- 

 cal o\ ponent of popular superstition and Brahmanical caste, to the character of a 

 being supreme over all visible and invisible things, and the object of universal 

 worship.— W. H. M. 



VI. — Description of two new species of Carinaria, lately discovered in the 

 Indian Ocean. By W. H. Benson, Esq. Bengal Civil Service. 



Class.— Gasteropoda, Cuvier. 



Order. — Nucleobranche, Blainville. — Heteropoda, Lam. 



Fam. Firolida, Rang-. 



Genus. Carinaria ; — Bory. Lamarck. 



Sp. 1. C. Citliara. Testa dextra ; ultimo anfractu recto, compresso- 

 conico, versus spirant gradatim et eleganter attenuato, spiram terminalem 

 fere amplectente, rugis obliquis ornato ; aperlurd obliqud, oblongo-ovatd, 

 versus carinam coarctatd ; carind mediocri, striis sub-rectis signatd. 

 Habitat in Oce ino Indico. 



Shell dextral ; the last whorl straight, compressed, conical, gradually 

 narrowing towards the apex, nearly embracing' the terminal spire, 

 marked with oblique wrinkles ; aperture oblique, oblong ovate, narrow- 

 ed towards the keel ; keel moderate, marked with nearly straight striae. 



The animal of tiiis shell is more narrowed and cylindrical than in 

 any other described species, but as the Carinariae are said to have the 

 power of inflating themselves, too much stress should not be laid upon 

 this character. The body is attenuated and pointed at the posterior 

 extremity. It is by a line, with not very apparent asperities on the 

 surface, and has a central swimmer (on the side opposed to the shell) ; 

 but I found no appearance of the caudal swimmer, which is represent- 

 ed in the figures of C. Mediterranea. The male organ, and the parts 

 about the mouth are pale crimson. The viscera contained in the shell 

 are brownish, and the stomach yellowish or brownish, passing into red 

 posteriorly. After death, this red colour is often diffused through the 

 neighbouring parts. The scarf skin is very tender, and strips off the 

 animal, soon after death, in ragged portions. 



This shell, with that next to be described, approaches in form to 

 the scarce and precious C. vitrea, which is, with good reason, supposed 

 to be an inhabitant of the Indian Seas. Four specimens, of which 

 two were without the spire, were taken by myself and my companions, 

 between S Lat. 4° 30', and N. Lat. 4° 30', and E. Long. 87° 30', and W. 

 Long. 90° 30'. They were all taken after night-fall, and from the eager- 

 ness with which we plied our nets after I had made known the value 



