[Read before the Auckland Institute, 31st July, 1928; received by Editor, 3rd August, 1928; issued separately, 30th August, 1928.]

Plates 54-55.

Murdochia aranea n. sp. (Fig. 1).

Shell small elongate-conical, subperforate thin and fragile. Whorls 6 including moderately large papillate protoconch of two smooth whorls. Post-nuclear whorls sculptured with close, white, membranaceous, obliquely-retractive riblets, about eleven per millimetre, interstices with exceedingly fine irregular spiral wrinkles. Body-whorl large almost equal to half total height of shell, ribleta continuous over base and converging into umbilical cavity. Spire tall, over 2½ times height of aperture. Peristome thin, discontinuous. Columella oblique, arcuate, a little reflected over narrow umbilical perforation. Colour dark reddish-brown, excepting the white riblets which stand out in sharp contrast.

Height 3 mm., diameter 1.5 mm.

Holotype and 3 paratypes in author's collection Auckland, 5 paratypes in collection of Mr. W. La Roche, Auckland.

Habitat: Opononi, Hokianga Harbour, under decaying leaves in native bush. (W. La Roche, April, 1928.)

Remarks: This species appears related to Suter's torquillum, but is easily distinguished by its much greater adult size and proportionately taller spire.

Aeschrodomus worleyi n. sp. (Fig. 2).

Shell small, conoidal-dome shaped, axially costate, widely umbilicated with rounded periphery and base. Whorls 5, including low rounded protoconch of 2 faintly spirally striated whorls. All post-nuclear whorls sculptured with prominent narrow, regular, closely-spaced, sharply raised, flexuous and retractive axial riblets, about 10 per millimetre. The interspaces crowded with exceedingly fine subsidiary axial threads and still finer close spiral threads, producing a fine even reticulation. Spire 1⅔ height of aperture. Whorls evenly convex, impressed at sutures. Base slightly flattened towards umbilicus which is wide and deep of about one-third of diameter. Aperture small subcircular. Peristome thin, discontinuous. Columella short, arcuate, slightly reflexed, and almost vertical. Parietal-wall covered with a thin glaze. Colour buff with irregular radial rectangular blotches of reddish-brown, becoming obsolete towards lower suture and not extending over periphery on body-whorl.

Habitat: Coonoor Cave, near Dannevirke. Sub-fossil together with moa bones (Dinornis) and the common Recent bush snail, Charopa coma (Gray). (H. Hamilton, December 1914.)

Remarks: This is the largest species of the genus, readily distinguished by the flattened sides above periphery.

Laoma (Phrixgnathus) larochei n. sp. (Fig. 5).

Shell small, semitransparent, acutely conical. Spire slightly concave, almost three times height of aperture. Acutely angled and keeled at periphery, broadly umbilicated and rounded over base. Whorls 8, including rather large globular protoconch of 2 smooth whorls. Post-nuclear whorls scultpured with fine and close, retractive, arcuate growth-lines, much stronger on base. Suture distinct, margined above by a thread which later resolves into peripheral keel. The spire-outline is slightly concave and rendered a trifle gradate, due to the whorls coiling just under the keel. Base gently rounded. Umbilicus deep, rather narrow, about one-sixth diameter of base. Aperture rhomboidal. Peristome thin, discontinuous. Outer lip acutely angled at centre. Columella very short, vertical. Colour pale buff, semitransparent, regularly radially banded with light reddish-brown.

Height 2.25 mm., diameter 2.3 mm.

Holotype in author's collection Auckland, paratype in collection of Mr. W. La Roche, Auckland.

Habitat: Opononi, Hokianga Harbour, under decaying leaves in native bush. (Mr. W. La Roche, April 1928.)

Remarks: Related to the rare South Island marginata Hutton which, however, is less conical and has a much smaller umbilical cavity.