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

494 COLLECTIONS FROM THE WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN.This pretty little species must not be confounded with C. galaxias.Reeve (Conch. Icon. figs. 229 «, b). The latter has a similar interruptedline at the upper part of the whorls, and an indication of asecond towards the base of the last, but is nevertheless quite distinct,being destitute of the roundly meshed network, and more elongatein form.It has an opaque-white dotted line immediately above thesuture falling round the middle of the body-whorl, and consists oftwo more normal volutions than C. moleculma.28. Columbella cincinnata. (Plate XLIV. fig. H.)Martens, Moll. Mminthis, p. 248, pi. 20. fig. 14.Eagle Island, Amirantes, 12 fms. ('Alert'); Mauritius (Martens).Of this little species I have several examples before me in adultcondition. In these I count five normal whorls and three nuclear,the former being nearly straight at the sides and the latter convex.The labrum is but very little thickened, has a shallow sinuation aboveand a few denticles within. The columella is subperpendiciLlar,covered with a thin callus, having a prominent free margin.29. Columbella rufopiperata. (Plate XLIV. fig. I.)Shell minute, ovate-fusiform, flesh-coloured, everywhere minutelydotted with red and marked with an indistinct pale liue around themiddle of the body-whorl. Volutions 7, three apical smooth,convex ; the rest somewhat gradated, flat at the sides, very stronglylongitudinally costate. Eibs about twelve in number, continuousup the spire, rounded, thick, having the upper end crossed bj'^a shallow groove, giving the whorls a margined appearance. Thebody-whorl is convex at the middle, somewhat contracted below,transversely grooved at the base, with the costoe less strongly developedas the labrum is approached. Aperture very small andnarrow, only slightly contracted into a short oblique canal ; theouter Up is distinctly sinuated below the suture and thickenedwithin. The columella is rounded, prominent at the middle, andcovered with a callus. Length 3 millim., width 1^.Etoile Island, Amirantes, 13 fms.This minute species to the naked eye appears to be of a pinkishbrowncolour, but on examination with a lens is seen to be minutelydotted with red upon a pale flesh-coloured ground. The ribs arevery strong for so small a shell.30. Columbella amirantium. (Plate XLIV. fig. K.)Shell small, broad, ovate-fusiform, subpellucid, with the upperpart of the whorls whitish and pale pink bene'ath, ornamented withsome opaque white spots below the suture and a band of small dotsof the same colour round the middle of the body-whorl, the basalextremity of which is dark pink or black dotted with white.