1866.] Contributions to Indian Malacology. 1538 
species ; for it is evident from the above description that the radiating 
lines shewn do not refer to strie but to coloured markings. Mr. 
Benson’s shell from Malabar was striated. 
Good collections of the Unios of both Coromandel and Malabar are 
greatly needed to determine all these doubtful species. 
MonoconpyL™A crepristriaATa, Anthony. Pegu. 
American Journal of Conchology, I., 205, pl. 18. 
_ Moyoconpynma Prevensts, Anthony. Pegu. 
Am, Jour. Conch. I., 205, pl. 18. 
I am indebted to Mr. Theobald for the above quotations. The 
shells are the two Monocondylea above referred to, the first being 
that referred by me, though with some doubt, to Anodonta (Pseudo- 
don) inoscularis, Gould, the second to Monocondyl@a Vondenbuschiana, 
Lea. So long as it is the practice of naturalists living in foreign 
countries, and, necessarily, imperfectly acquainted with the fauna of 
distant regions, to give a “‘specific’’ name to every animal or frag- 
ment of an animal which reaches them, lists of synonyms must multiply; 
and as everybody will contend for the distinctness of his ‘‘ species,” 
false notions as to the nature and value of specific distinctions must 
prevail. Thus, in the same paper, one of the numerous varieties of 
Melania variabilis, Benson, is called AZ. gloriosa, Anthony. Now it 
is worthy of remark that Mr. Benson, who has examined far more of 
the Mollusca of Burma than Mr. Anthony can possibly have seen, has 
not for years described a single Melania from that country as new, 
and has only described two species of Unio, although he had speci- 
mens of all Mr. Anthony’s supposed new species. I can only add 
that it would be easy for me to describe, from the materials I possess, 
20 or 30 forms of Unio (and nearly as many more of Melania) with 
as good claims to distinction as one-half at least of those already pub- 
lished from India and Burma; but were I to do so, I cannot help 
thinking that, while burdening science with additional names, I 
should have added nothing to the knowledge of the fresh water mol- 
lusca of India. Amongst fresh water shells I am convinced that. 
forms pass into each other far more than amongst land shells, that 
“species,” in the usual definition of the word, have no existence, 
that all the characters relied upon for distinguishing ‘ species” of 
Unionde in especial, the form and thickness of the hinge teeth, form 
