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

;MOLLUSCA. 6339. Turbinella (Tudicula) armigera. (Plate V. fig. G.)Tudicla armigera, A. Adams, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1855, p. 221 ; Kobelt,Conch.-Cali., Furpuracea, ii'i. p. 20 ; Tri/on, Man. Conch, vol. iii.p. 144, pi. 58. fig. 411.Hab. Moreton Bay {Strange) ; Port Curtis, 0-11 fms., and PortMoUe, 14 fms. {Coppinger).As the Latiu diagnosis given by Adams is defective in severalimportant points, I here give a more ample description of thisremarkable species.Shell clavately fusiform, whitish, longitudinallystreaked with reddish brown, clothed with a rather thin, somewhatfibrous, yellowish ejndcrmis. Spire short, concavely conical, obtuseand mamillated at the apex. Whorls G ; the two nuclear onessmooth, convex ; the three following nearly flat or a little concaveand sloping, angled at the lower part near the suture, bearing at theangle a series of upturned, slightly recurved hollow spines, ornamentedwith fine wavy spiral lirations both above and below theangle. Last whorl like the three preceding at the upper part, buthaving the spines, about nine in number, much longer, increasingin length with the growth of tlie shell ; body of whorl a trifleconvex, indistinctly variced or costate beneath each spine, bearingthree to five lirse armed with numerous short hollow spines, theinterstices being ornamented with two or three thread-like lirationslower part of the whorl prolonged into a straight canal occupyingabout half the length of the entire shell, bearing two obli(iue rowsof spines, those of the upper series being considerably longest : athird row is also indicated at the lower part, and the entire rostrumis obliquely lirated throughout. Aperture ovate, white or pinkishwhite. Outer lip thickened, crenulated at the margin, with abouteight lirse within. Columella covered with a large erect spreadingcallosity extending from the upper extremity of the labrura to i.helower end of the aperture, armed with three plaits, of which thelowermost is the thickest. Operculum ovate, acute at the nucleus,which is terminal, brown. Length G5 millim., greatest diam. 30.This beautiful shell was originally placed in Tudicla, one ofthose non-admissible divisions of Bolton, and subsequently a newgenus, Tudicula, was proposed by H. and A. Adams (P. Z. S. 1863,p. 429) for the reception of this and a second species, T.spinosa, alsofrom Port Curtis. A third form, T. inermis, has more recently beendescribed by Mr. G. P. Angas, presumed to have come from Singapore.All of these species have the plaits on the columella, themamillated apex, and the largely developed and prominent callosityon the inner lip as in the typical forms of Turbinella., e. g. T.pyrumand T. rapa., and differ mainly in the greater length of the canal.The operculum, too, is essentially the same ; and therefore the utilityof this generic division becomes very questionable.