18 DISTRIBUTION OF AUSTRALASIAN VOLUTES. 
nivosa and Norissii , that it is difficult to know where to draw the \ 
line of distinction; in one the ground colour is light orange_ 
brown marked throughout with rather uniform round impure 
‘white spots, as if the colour had been washed out with drops of rain 
falling on it. The tubercles of the corona are large, prominent 
and widely separated. The bands on the body whorl, formed by the 
black or very dark brown unconnected spots, are very broad. The 
black markings radiating from the suture of the spire are lon^ 
sharply defined, and wedge-shaped, give a conspicuous and character¬ 
istic appearance to this species. 
In the other variety the whorl shell has a flesh-coloured tint and 
the spots forming the bands are elongated, taking an intermediate 
form and appearance between those found on \ . nivosa and V I 
Ruckeri j and it also has the white spots of the first named 0 f those 
t'vo species, and, except from its shape, it is otherwise more like a 
variety of V. nivosa . 
There is a third variety of a smaller size than those before men¬ 
tioned, where the black marks are very minute and closely resemble 
the black marks on V. pulckra, but in colour it resembles the 
Y. Norrisii: in my opinion it is undoubtedly a Y. Sophia 
My specimen was obtained at Port Essington by the late Mr. John 
Murphy, whose ability as a collector has, I fear, never been done 
justice to. 
36 .— VOLUTA ROSSINI AN A —Behnakdi. 
This, to my mind, is the finest of the Australian Volutes, of 
large size, about 6 to 8 inches long, with a beautiful reticulated 
yellow pattern on a dark ground, found only at Isle of Pines, 
by the Messrs. Itossiter aLd Marie; but so far, I can find no 
record of its exact habitat on that island, which is to be won¬ 
dered at, considering the interest taken by the many able conclio- 
logists who have resided there. 
SECTION AULICA. 
37. —VOLUTA MARMORATA— Swajnson. 
This species is not so scarce as was supposed, although still it i 
rare to obtain it in fine condition; it varies much, being in som 3 
instances quite smooth on the body whorl, and elongated; in othei 0 
it is almost coronated : the latter varieties are generally thickcf 
