192 
MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS STROPHIA. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
There is an inclination in this species to become more elongated 
and cylindrical, thus in some specimens the first four whirls areof the 
same diameter. There is also some variation in color, but thecharacter- 
istic zigzag markings in chestnut are always present. 
The small-sized specimen given under head of dimensions may con- 
stitute a separate species as it is a much thinner shell, with a less open 
mouth, and a much narrower margin. Idle markings are also more dis- 
tinct, the chestnut being deeper in shade. 
This species may be considered as the type of a group of shells, 
most of which I believe inhabit Cuba, and which have the peculiar flang- 
ing mouth and zigzag markings. The markings are confined to a very 
limited number of species, but the open mouth is peculiar to the greater 
number of Cuban Strophias. 
This shell may be at once recognized by the large size, flanging 
margin, irregularly formed, widely separated striations, which occupy 
all of the whirls, excepting the two lowest, and the zigzag markings 
which give the shell a rougher appearance than it really presents upon 
close examination. 
HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION. 
I have said under head of the preceding species, that it is fortunate 
that conchologists are all, or nearly all, agreed upon just what Strophia 
uva is, for many of the older described species of the genus are far from 
being in a similar condition. The species in hand presents one of those 
very problems which has given me a great deal of trouble to settle. 
The difficulty can be stated in a fer? w r ords. In 1792, Bruguiere 
described in the Encyclopedic Methodique, among other shells, some of 
them Strophias, a species which he calls Bulimus mumia, most evident- 
ly a Strophia, although he considered it a marine shell. Now his descrip- 
tion is so general that it may be applied to almost any species of Stro- 
phia having a flanging margin, more especially to several Cuban species. 
In proof of this we have only to glance at the description and figures of 
those authors who have described this species since, scarcely any two 
have interpreted Bruguiere’s description in the same way, or in other 
words, scarcely any two have applied his name to the same species of shell. 
Such being the facts of the case, as I shall endeavor to show T later 
in this article, the question comes, to what species of flanging mouthed 
shell is the name of mumia to be applied 7 To show’ in the outset that 
Bruguiere’s description is far from being detailed enough to clearly de- 
fine any one species of Strophia, I give it below’ , first in the original 
Latin and French, then translated. 
