Report on the zoological collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean ...

110 COLLECTIONS PEOM MELANESIA.56. ? Area imbricata.Bnu/uih'e ; Reeve, Conch. Icon. fig. 73.I fail to discover any good distinctions between A. cunealis,Hah. Port Molle, Queensland, 12 fms. {Coppinger) ; Geelong,Port Philip {Mus. Cuming) ; Port Essington and N.E. Australia{Brit. Mus.).The specimens from the above localities belong to one species,and so closely resemble, with the exception of colour, West-Indianexamples of this species, that I hesitate to separate them specifically,Eeeve, A. kraussi, Philippi, and A. imbricata = A. umbonata, Lamarck,except that the two former generally, but not always, have morerhomboidal grooves on the ligament.57. Area (Barbatia) lima.Area lima, Heeve, Conch. Icon. fig. 101.Hob. Port MoUc, 14 fms., and Thursday Island, 2-6 fms. (Coppinger); Burias and Corrigidor, Philippines ( Cuming)." Light brown, stained with brown, spotted with brown, posteriorlycovered with a thin, very fine bristly epidermis." Such isthe erroneous description given by Eeeve of this sj)ecies. It is, infact, a purely white shell throughout, and all the brown stains andspots are merely the remains of the epidermis. The entire surfaceis ornamented with very numerous close-set fine radiating riblets,which are finely granular, the granules so placed as to form concentricseries. About half a dozen of the costfe down the posteriorside and a few at the anterior end are thicker than the rest on thecentral portion of the valve, aud consequently have larger granules,those behind being further apart also. The few ribs towards themiddle being duplicate, as stated by Reeve, is an individual ratherthan a specific character. The interior is white, and the margincrenulated, the crenulation corresponding in coarseness with theradiating costa3.58, Area (Barbatia) tenebrica.Area teuebrica, Reeve, Conch. Icon. fig. 105.Hah. Samar, Philippines (Cuming) ; Port Essington ( Capt. Wiclc-Jiam in Brit. Mus.) ; Port Curtis {Dr. Coppinger) ; Bombay {Mus.Cuming).The surface of this species is minutely reticulated with excessivelyfine radiating and concentric liroe, of which the former arethe coarser, subgranular, and generally alternating finer aud coarser.The valves exhibit an indication of a faint depression down themiddle, from the umbo to the centre of the ventral margin, whichin some specimens is slightly incurved or siiuiatcd at that part. Itis also thickened within, smooth, and rounded.The interior is bluish white aud radiately striated, the striie being