The Family Olividae — Burch and Burch 
spots have the character of scattered triangular 
blotches, and the ground is of a ruddy tinge. 
O. annulata (Gmelin) is a common species 
distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific. We 
have sets of mixed and intergrading forms from 
Tahiti, Solomon Islands, Guam, New Guinea, 
Marquesas, Mauritius, Admiralty Islands, and 
many localities in the Philippines. 
Oliva carneola (Gmelin 1791). Syst. Nat., 
ed. 13, p. 3443. 
The figure of Martini (1773, fig. 495) 
upon which Gmelin based this species is very 
poor, but one can still recognize that it concerns 
a shell with reddish background crossed on the 
last whorl by bluish-gray bands running down- 
ward. This coloration may be regarded as 
typical. 
O. carneola is either short or elongate, either 
swollen or cylindrical; the spire is constantly 
covered with a thick callosity which completely 
hides the superior whorls, that of the last whorl 
alone being free. The pattern and coloration 
give this species a great number of modifications, 
and change so often during growth that it is 
impossible to place the shells into determined 
color forms. We will mention a few of the 
most characteristic. 
We have avoided discussion of generic names 
in Oliva. The differences in radula or anatomy 
are slight, and we see no systematic advantage 
in the recognition of such names in this group. 
For example, some authors place this species in 
the genus Galeola Gray 1858. 
This is a common species throughout the 
Indo-Pacific. Inasmuch as many or all of the 
described color forms appear in most of a large 
series from all localities, it seems futile to 
attempt a division of them. A few of the named 
color forms follow. 
adspersa Dautzenberg 1927. J. Conchyl. 71:9. 
The shell is irregularly sprinkled with numerous 
small, white, rather conspicuous triangular 
flecks. 
bizonalis Dautzenberg 1927. J. Conchyl. 71:8. 
This shell has a red background crossed in the 
middle of the last whorl by two white bands 
rather large and close. (See Duclos 1844, pi. 28, 
fig. 13.) 
517 
candidula Dautzenberg 1927. J. Conchyl. 
71:8. 
The bands are barely visible at the beginning of 
the last whorl and disappear completely there- 
after. (See Duclos 1844, pi. 28, figs. 12, 16.) 
coccinata Dautzenberg 1927. J. Conchyl. 
71:8. 
The shell is a nearly uniform red, with bands 
visible. (See Duclos 1844, pi. 28, fig. 8.) 
trichroma Dautzenberg 1927. J. Conchyl. 
71:9. 
The shell differs from unizonalis by the 
presence at the summit of the last whorl of a 
deep-purple band at the suture which imparts to 
the shell a three-colored aspect. 
tmizonalis Dautzenberg 1927. J. Conchyl. 
71:9. 
The shell has a red background crossed by one 
large white band in the middle of the last 
whorl. (See Duclos 1844, pi. 28, figs. 6, 14.) 
Oliva athenia Duclos 1835. Monogr. Oliva , pi. 
26, figs. 17, 18 (excl. 19, 20). 
O. athenia is a well defined species, charac- 
terized by the squat form, the spire nearly flat 
and mucronated in the center. Nevertheless, it 
has often been misunderstood. Duclos himself, 
after correctly representing it on Plate 28, 
Figures 17, 18, has added under the same name 
Figures 19 and 20, which are of O. mucronata 
Marrat and O. fab a Marrat. Tryon (1883) 
considered it a synonym of O. sidelia Duclos 
1835. 
A typical O. athenia is ornamented with 
longitudinal blotches standing out clearly in 
zigzags on a tawny background. These blotches 
are either separated or approximate. In certain 
examples they stand out on a dotted or ob- 
scurely reticulated background. We have speci- 
mens from New Caledonia, Andaman Islands, 
Fiji Islands, and Australia. 
This species has been the source of much 
disagreement. Reeve (1850) placed it in the 
synonymy of O. carneola (Gmelin 1791). 
Johnson (1910) said under his discussion of 
O. mustellina Duclos, "O. athenia Duclos re- 
sembles this species in miniature.” Johnson’s 
comment might be in order if one failed to 
