22 
Description of the Animal of Melania. 
[Jan 1 . 
running streams, and are generally in a state of agitation. When placed in a vessel 
ofwater, and furnished with sand, they quickly bury themselves. This habit accounts 
for their not being easily met with in calm weather. During the prevalence of a 
stiff breeze, the rippling of the water beats up the sand into ridges and furrows, 
and discovering the retreats of the Melania, they may be observed crawling clo-c- 
to the lee shore, endeavouring to secure themselves by adhering to stones ; or when 
the breeze has ceased, they may be traced by the furrows which they form upon the sur- 
face of the sand, in their progress to deep water. The small pools, left by the ri- 
vers in their fall, sometimes abound with them. I once saw a Melania bury it- 
enaoweci witn it, tney would oe name, during the neigut ot the rains, when the ri- 
vers are rushing down like torrents, to be swept away to the sea ; as it is, they se- 
curely abide their fury, protected by their sandy covering. 
The Melanise are ovo-viviparous. I have taken between 40 and 50 minute shells 
from the body of the large species marked A ; the animal having ejected them, 
when plunged into boiling water for the purpose of freeing it from the shell. 
I shall here give the characters of the five species which I have met with, refrain- 
ing from naming them for the reason stated in my notice on Ampullaria. 
Sp. A. Shell elongate-turreted, solid ; epidermis varying from piceous to olive 
brown; whorls convex, with longitudinal ribs, which are nodulous on the shoulders 
of the lower whorls ; several obsolete transverse ridges or rugae on the last whorl, 
the central one most prominent. Interior of the aperture violaceous-grev, with a 
satiny lustre. In the young shell there were two reddish-brown bands * running 
transversely on the centre and base of the lower whorl, which become fainter as it 
approaches maturity. The foot and spiral extremity of the animal are of a blackish 
colour, the centre ot the body being of a light orange red. 
1 his species attains the length of three inches ; it occurs plentifully on a shelving 
bank of ealctuff-gravel (bdjri) in the Gumti, at Juanpiir, keeping close to the edge 
ol the water. I have also received specimens from the waters North East of AvonH 
liya (Oude.) JWU ' 
Sp. B. Shell subulate- turreted, translucent ; whorls depressed, with longitudinal 
and transverse rugae, which give a decussated appearance to the upper whorls 
Colour pallid, with bands ot red -brown dots, or irregular longitudinal f 
the same colour, sometimes altogether devoid of markings. g ‘ streaks of 
I his shell occurs alive in the Gumti, Yamuna, Betwa and C4n rivers T I,-™, ♦ 
with the exuviae in the Ganges. In this and the next described S, n 1 7 T • 
of a pallid colour, with brownish black markings. The body is light verdi 1C f ° 0t 1S 
Sp. C. Shell ovate-oblong; whorls convex, ribbed on the spire Suv 
numerous transverse rugae ; ribs coronated by tubercles ; colour nail id « 
with irregular longitudinal red-brown streaks. 1 pdllld olivaceous. 
In a variety from the Cen, the tubercles of the shoulders aro n™ i j • 
giving the shell somewhat of the appearance of AI amZuFJ * T* mt ° SpircS ’ 
a variation in general form, that, were not the two extreme/ ^ ^ ?? USing sucl ! 
by a series of specimens in my possession I should bV ,!;? gratlUall y connected 
T;V‘Sl ™ S - ‘i-e f° a S nd S„ regard ,hCm “ 
and numerous distant transverse rugae, of wLc7the7mK^T l0tC longitudinal . rihs ’ 
and nodulous, with a groove corresponding with it in it ^ 1S n ? ore prominent, 
Epidermis blackish-brown. 1 S ll ln the mterior of the shell. 
I have never met with a living specimen of this shell 
It occurs in the Gumti, at Juanpiir. * SlleU ' 
ftp. h. shell elongate-turreted; whorls convev lrm.dt,, v n ■, , 
transverse rug* ; shoulders tuberculated. Colour as in ^h > i» y i d bed> and crossed 
This shell was brought to me from the waters N F dlc llind mentioned species. 
be intermediate between the species marked B and cV? Ayoodh >’ a - It appears to 
** probable > tbat a shell which Lc Gent dm V have on, 5 r a single specimen. 
d Embale, in Madagascar, and which he describes “‘J?" 8 38 C ™""™ ™ the river 
" >« gh . >3 whorls, decollated, furnishedfvi.l , une B r »nde vis” three inches 
, ls > an<l an operculum, is referable to this Zl! w 1ou S s * >,res > » brown cpider. 
genus. He says : “ it ] ives in the saud . 
