142 Contributions to Indian Malacology. [No. 2, 



t ank is referred to. The shells inhabiting the Seven Tanks shew a 

 considerable difference. The shell is a small, subrotundate, thick 

 form, approaching some of the varieties of U.favidens, Bens., and has 

 much the appearance of being stunted and distorted, a very common 

 occurrence in tanks, and especially in those of Calcutta, probably in 

 consequence of their being slightly brackish at times. Two speci- 

 mens, agreeing well with Lea's figures, exist in the Asiatic Society's 

 Museum. A very similar shell inhabits the Nerbudda. 



No. 13. — Unio Shurtleffianus, Lea. Sina River, India. 

 Lea, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil. III., 302, pi. 27, f. 17. 



The Sina river runs past Ahmednugger in the Deccan. It is an 

 affluent of the Bheema, one of the principal feeders of the Kistna. 

 This shell has somewhat the form of Unio cceruleus, but is thicker. 

 Unfortunately the volume containing the description of this shell does 

 not appear to exist in Calcutta, so I cannot tell whether specimens, 

 which I possess from the neighbourhood, belong to the type form or 

 not. In such extremely variable shells as Unio this is a matter of 

 considerable importance. 



No. 14. — Unio Merodabensis v. d. Busch, Province of Merodah in 

 Bengal. (!) 



v. d. Busch. MS. in Kuster, Mart, and Chem., p. 233, pi. 78, fig. 4. 

 I give the locality of this ridiculously named species as it is 

 quoted in Kuster. The locality is doubtless Moradabad in Rohilcund. 

 Kuster gives as a synonym ? U. flavus, Benson, and adds the remark : 

 " Whether this species be Benson's described U. flavus, I cannot 

 ascertain, as I have not access to Benson's work. The name would be 

 ill-selected, as the shell is by no means yellow." 



Of course Benson's species thus referred to is U. favidens, of which 

 the present appears to be a variety, very close to Mr. Benson's var. 

 trigona. The name Merodabensis is so utter a barbarism, that it will be 

 satisfactory to be rid of it. For the little series of blunders attending 

 the description of this type, Dr. v. d. Busch again appears to be 

 responsible. 



No. 15. — Unio Sikkimensis, Lea. Sikkim. 



Lea, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil. 2nd Ser. IV. 251, pi. 39, f. 131. 



I have some doubt about the locality assigned to this species. It 



