or SANTO DOMINGO. 



231 



in some species of Act?eon. In some of the specimens the sculpture is faint or wanting 

 near the posterior angle. I have compared my fine series of fossil with Mr. Conrad's 

 type specimens of C. Stearnsii from Florida and find no difference except that in his 

 shell, which is very young, the sculpture is only visible on the anterior half The 

 shape, the angle and character of the spire, the character of the sculpture, in short 

 all of the details agree perfectly. 



Compare C. ininntus, Rve. Conch. Icon., ISTo. 259, apparently a very young shell. 

 Reeve describes his species as having entirely diffei-ent colors from Conrad's, espe- 

 cially in that it has two revolving bands on the middle. The angle of the whoi-1 is 

 dotted with reddish brown as in C. Stearnsii and the surface is smooth. The resem- 

 blance therefore betv^^een C. minutus and G. Stearnsii, are these of form ami of the 

 red spots on the angle ; the differences are the general color and the smallness of 

 Reeve's species, while Conrad's is sculptured over half of its surface. But this 

 sculpture is not an essential character since I have a series showing that the whole 

 or only half of the surface may be sculptured, and if this much diiference is demon- 

 strated to exist, why may not a very young specimen, the size of Reeve's vaiy still 

 further. While not pi-epared to assert their specific identity, I consider their resem- 

 blance sufficiently near to warrant a critical examination. 



C. Haitensis. Sby., Quart. Jour., Vol. VI., p. 44. 

 C. symmeiricxis, Sby. Loc. cit., p. 44, pi. 9, fig. 1. 

 G. jDo'iumgensis, Sby. Loc. cit., p. 45. 



I have studied over 700 specimens of species and have tried by every test known 

 to me, to divide it into two or more groups, but without success. Sometimes it is per- 

 fectly straight and regularly tapering on the sides, sometimes gently convex ; the spire 

 varies from flat to elevated, the whorls being flat or grooved above, and striated or plain, 

 with a rounded or sharp angle ; the surface of the body whorl is either smooth or marked 

 over a part or the whole, by ribs which may be in part or in whole, plain or beaded ; 

 and the shell varies from thin to massive. I do not wish to be understood that these 

 characters run in groups. On the contrary, they are so intermixed that thei'e is no 

 possibility of separating them. But in this otherwise protean species there is a single 

 character which, when obtainable, is constant. The color pattern is fortunately 

 preserved in a large number of specimens and irrespective of their form, density or 

 surface is invariable. It consists of a dark ground, with light cloudings elongated 

 transversely and more or less connected by dashes and lines. The pattern is not 

 unlike that of C. testtidinaria, but the shell, in average specimens is moi'e in form like 

 C. jmrjnirescens. 



