from Glabella in having the aperture channelled above and but without a basal sinus, and Porcellana Conrad, 1862, which is based on a shell congeneric with the type of Volvarina.

The type of Glabella is a moderately large shell with the basal canal distinctly notched, and is comparable in a broad sense with Australian species such as formicula and muscaria and the New Zealand pygmaea, except that in typical Glabella there is a definite colour pattern and a denticulate outer lip, features not present in the Australasian species ascribed to the subgenus.

The presence or absence of labial denticulations in the Marginellidae, however, does not seem to be of systematic importance as noted elsewhere in this paper under the subgenus Volvarina. It is nootworthy that cleryi Petit, one of the West African species, has all the characteristics of the genotype except that the outer lip is smooth within.

It is very doubtful if any of the Australasian species ascribed to Glabella are really typical, but until more is known about the dentition of existing genotypes it is unwise to create new genera. Tomlin (1917, p. 245) has stated that the radula of Marginella is an extremely difficult one to extract. For the benefit of any future worker investigating the radula of faba or allied West African species, I provide a figure of the radula of the New Zealand pygmaea, which species would make a suitable genotype for the Australasian series should they prove separable.^*

Meanwhile Glabella may be retained for many of the Australin. and New Zealand shells previously ascribed to that subgenus.

In the New Zealand Tertiary, however, the only true member of the Australasian group referable to Glabella so far described, is M. hesterna Bartrum and Powell, from Kaawa Creek (Waitotaran), Lower Pliocene. The remaining New Zealand Tertiary Marginellids all differ in having a weakly channelled basal canal without a sinus. Glabella (s. l.) then, so far as is known, was not represented in our fauna prior to the Pliocene.

Marginella (Glabella) pygmaea Sowerby. (Fig. 18).

• 1846. Marginella pygmaea Sowerby, Thes. Conch., I, p. 386, pl. 75, figs. 78 and 79.

• 1883. Marginella pygmaea Sowerby, Man. Conch. (I), vol. 5, p. 26, pl. 8, fig. 35 (= Thes. fig. 79).

• 1913. Marginella (Glabella) pygmaea (Sowerby) Suter, Man. N.Z. Mollusca, p. 465.

The type was “described without locality from a single specimen in the Bell collection” (Tryon, 1883, p. 26). Tomlin's (1917) entry for this species reads as follows: “Loc.—? (Coll. Bell). Type Brit. Mus., being the larger of two on one tablet; the smaller is labelled ‘Brisbane, M. C.’” From the foregoing it is evident that the Brisbane specimen has no bearing on the type locality of pygmaea, and it is worthy of note that this species does not appear in Hedley's Queensland (1910) or his New South Wales (1918) check lists respectively, and that the common Tasmanian shells so determined by Tate and May are easily separable from New Zealand specimens.

The characteristic features of New Zealand shells are the high labial varix and the widely spaced plaits, the uppermost being at about half the height of the body-whorl. These essentials are shown in Tryon's copy of Sowerby's original figure. Tasmanian shells ascribed to pygmaea differ from the here assumed typical New Zealand species in having stronger and more closely spaced plaits, the uppermost situated proportionately lower in relation to the height of the body-whorl. The spire also is less blunt, and the labial varix not so high. Although my specimens prove conclusively that Tasmanian and New Zealand shells represent different species, I refrain from naming the Tasmanian form, as I have been unable to refer to the original figure and description of pygmaea, my remarks being based on Tryon's copy of Sowerby's original figure. In order to facilitate comparison with the type, I here figure both the New Zealand and Tasmanian species respectively, and provisionally nominate New Zealand as the typical locality for pygmaea.

Dimensions of typical pygmaea—

Habitat.—Cape Maria van Diemen (Rev. W. H. Webster coll.), Whangaroa; Rangaunu Bay, in 12 fath.; Tryphena Bay, in 5–6 fath., Great Barrier Is. (W. La Roche); Mokohinau Is. (H. Hamilton coll.); Takapuna Reef, Auckland (A. W. B. P.); Foveaux Strait, oyster dredge (A. Hamilton coll.); Chatham Is. (A. Hamilton coll.).

Dentition (Fig. 20). Radula extremely small. The solitary rachidian teeth are 0.057 mm. in width, have a deep sinus in the

basal plate, and are remarkable in having the central cusp extremely long and narrow. There are six much smaller cusps on either side of the central one.

So few species of the Marginellidae have had their dentition made known that the writer is unable to institute comparisons between the radula of pygmaea and that of other species. It may be noted, however, that the radula of Thiele's M. ovata^* and aequatorialis respectively, both from East Africa in deep water, have been figured by him (1925, pl. 198, text figs. 8 and 9 and pl. 22, figs. 11 and 12), and that these differ as much from each other as they do from that of the New Zealand pygmaea, although on shell characters aequatorialis is not greatly dissimilar from the New Zealand species.

Marginella (Glabella) vailei n. sp. (Figs. 15 and 23).

• 1904. Marginella turbinata Suter, in Hutton, Index Faunae Novae Zealandiae, p. 74 (not of Sowerby, 1846).

• 1913. Marginella turbinata Suter, Manual N.Z. Mollusca, p. 466 (not of Sowerby, 1846).

This species differs from true turbinata in having a less cylindrical shell with a taller and much more narrowly conical spire; in fact, the shape and general proportions are more like those of pygmaea. The relationship, however, is undoubtedly with turbinata, as shown by the presence of axials on the shoulder and a lightly defined fasciole, the upper limit of which is traceable as an inconspicuous line of junction proceeding from the uppermost plait. Above this in the New Zealand species is a moderately strong tubercle giving the appearance of a fifth plait. This is well developed in the three Spirits' Bay specimens, but is not shown in any of a long series of Tasmanian and New South Wales turbinata examined. Other characteristic features of vailei are the simple, broadly arcuate outer lip, not so heavily variced as in turbinata or pygmaea, leaving a proportionately more capacious aperture, and the slight concavity above the shoulder, the result of the more narrowly conic spire.

Shell attaining a larger size than pygmaea, solid, white. Whorls 4. including broadly rounded protoconch, surface worn, but presumably of about one whorl. Sculpture consisting of poorly developed axial fold-like riblets confined to the shoulder of body-whorl and more prominent over the latter part. These riblets are not even in spacing or development, and are much less prominent than in typical turbinata. In Suter's illustration (1915, pl. 20, fig. 20) these axials are an exaggeration even for true turbinata, which species nevertheless seems to have been the basis of Suter's illustration, for it lacks the characteristic spire of vailei.

Dimensions of vailei—

• Height 8.10 mm.; diameter, 5 mm.:

• Ratio of spire height into total height, 4.63.

• Height 7.50 mm.; diameter, 4.6 mm.:

• Ratio of spire height into total height, 5.00.

• Height,—; diameter, 5.5 mm. (broken specimen).

Dimensions of turbinata (Shell Harbour, N.S.W.)—

• Height, 8.25 mm.; diameter 4.9 mm:

• Ratio of spire height into total height, 5.60.

• Height, 8.50 mm.; diameter, 5.0 mm.:

• Ratio of spire height into total height, 6.80.

• Height, 10.00 mm.; diameter, 5.5 mm.:

• Ratio of spire height into total height, 6.66.

Holotype, together with other molluscan material, presented to the Auckland Museum by Mr H. E. Vaile, September, 1930.

Habitat.—Cape Maria van Diemen (collected by Mr H. E. Vaile, 1896); Spirits' Bay (Charles Cooper collection).

Marginella (Glabella) muscaria Lamarck, 1822.

• 1880. Erato lactea Hutton, Man. N.Z. Mollusca, p. 63.

• 1884. Marginella muscaria Lamk., Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 16, p. 224.

• 1913. Marginella muscaria (Lamk.) Suter, Man. N.Z. Mollusca, p. 463.

Up to the present this species has been retained in New Zealand molluscan literature, but claims for its recognition are based on such slender evidence that I am forced to suspend it from our faunal list. Hutton's Erato lactea, 1880 was described without definite locality, Auckland to Cook Strait being mentioned. Later, Hutton in 1884 cited the habitat as Auckland and Cook Strait, but this is no doubt an error in transcription.

Hutton's types of Erato lactea, consisting of four specimens from the Dr Sinclair collection, have been examined through the courtesy of Mr W. R. B. Oliver, and these prove to be the common Australian muscaria. No locality is given on Hutton's original label, nor is there any authentic New Zealand record of the species by any subsequent writer.

Cheeseman (1887, p. 163) listed muscaria from Auckland Harbour, but his record was based upon the common pygmaea, which name had not been used at that time in connection with the New Zealand fauna.

Marginella (Glabella) tryphenensis n. sp. (Figs. 13 and 14).

Shell small, ovate-cylindrical, semitransparent, solid. Spire very little raised, only about one-twentieth height of aperture. Whorls about 3, including protoconch of one small flattened smooth whorl. Body-whorl long, tapering gradually over base, but not constricted. Columella with four oblique, moderately strong plaits. Aperture very long and narrow, with parallel sides, deeply channelled above

and broadly notched below. Outer lips strengthened on the outside by a moderately heavy variciform callus extending above to penultimate whorl. Colour pure white where thickened, remainder of the shell creamy buff.

Height, 3.66 mm.; diameter, 2.2 mm.

Holotype presented to Auckland Museum.

Habitat.—Tryphena Bay, in 5–6 fath., Great Barrier Island (type) (dredged A. W. B. P., Jan., 1924).

Tryphenensis is probably related to Sowerby's inconspicua, described without locality, but since claimed as a constituent of the New South Wales and Tasmanian faunas respectively.

Marginella (Glabella) larochei n. sp. (Figs. 16 and 17).

Shell small, ovate-cylindrical, semitransparent, moderately solid. Spire narrowly conical, straight in outline, about one-quarter height of aperture. Whorls 4, including low flattened smooth protoconch of one small, bluntly rounded whorl. Suture indistinct, tangential, false margined, due to the transparency of the shell. Aperture high and narrow, rather deeply channelled above, narrower and shallowly notched below. Outer lip simple, smooth, not thickened within, but strengthened on the outside by a flattened variciform callus. Bodywhorl moderately inflated, not constricted over base. Columella with four strong oblique plaits, the lower two more closely spaced and extending further over the fasciole. Fasciole ill-defined, line of junction at uppermost plait. There is a moderately heavy callus at about the middle of the fasciole, causing the slight swelling shown in the outline. Colour white where thickened, normally vitreous.

Height, 4.16 mm.; diameter, 2.26 mm.

Holotype in author's collection.

Habitat.—Rangaunu Bay, in 12 fath. (type) (W. La Roche, 1922); 23 fath., off Ahipara Bay (D. Crawford, 1925); off Wanganui in 10–12 fath. (W. La Roche).

Subgenus Volvarina Hinds, 1844.^*

Type (by original designation) Marginella avena Valenciennes.

Recent, West Indies.

So far as can be judged from shell characters, Australasian species such as maoriana nov., hectori Kirk, and hedleyi May, seem related to the genotype. This apparent relationship is not surprising for species ascribed to Volvarina are widely distributed geographically. The genotype is a white glossy shell of the same cylindrical, shortspired type as our Australasian shells; the outer lip is as in maoriana,

being without denticles along its inner edge, and the shell varies in height from about 8.5 mm. to 13 mm. Mustelina and two of the New Zealand Tertiary species here ascribed to this subgenus have weak denticulations along the inner side of the outer lip. The presence or absence of these denticles, however, is certainly not of greater than specific value.

Marginella (Volvarina) mustelina (Angas).

• 1871. Hyalina (Volvarina) mustelina Angas, Proc. Zool. Soc., p. 14, pl. 1, fig. 5.

• 1913. Marginella (Volvarina) mustelina (Angas) Suter, Manual N.Z. Mollusca, p. 460.

Type in British Museum. Dredged off Sow and Pigs Reef, Port Jackson (Brazier).

The colour pattern in New Zealand examples is more decided than in Shell Harbour (New South Wales) specimens, due to the pattern being darker and the ground colour more whitish. The Shell Harbour specimens have the same pattern, but a slightly different appearance results from less contrasting tones due to paler zones and a darker ground colour. No structural shell differences were noted, although a series of thirty Shell Harbour specimens were compared with a similar number from North Auckland localities.

Specimens from 10–30 metres of Sunday Island, Kermadec Islands, one of which is here figured (Fig. 22), closely resemble typical mustelina, except that there are no labial denticulations and the colour pattern is in the form of simple zones without darker markings. Possibly this form is identical with Ten.-Woods stanislas, which has been synonymised with mustelina, and is a form I have not seen.

Habitat (in New Zealand) Doubtless Bay, under stones at low tide (A. E. Brookes); Whangaroa Harbour (W. La Roche); Tryphena, Great Barrier Island, on under-sides of stones, firmly embedded in sand.

Dentition.—Nine “live” specimens were utilised, but a most careful search failed in the location of a radula.^†

Marginella (Volvarina) maoriana n. sp. (Fig. 21).

Shell moderately large, cylindrical, no sculpture, smooth and polished, rather thin. Spire short, less than one-sixth height of aperture. Whorls very rapidly increasing, 4.½, including low broadly rounded smooth protoconch of 1½ whorls. Body-whorl very long and narrow, cylindrical, sides very gradually contracting over base, but nowhere constricted. Aperture high and narrow, subchannelled above, rather broadly open below, but without a sinus. Outer lip vertical, almost straight, slightly thickened and incurved, with a smooth inner margin. Columella with four equidistant oblique plaits

and a moderately strong denticle immediately above uppermost plait, giving the appearance of a weakly developed fifth plait. Colour whitish with three spiral bands of bright orange-brown, a narrow one at suture, another slightly wider just above denticle on columella, and a third conspicuously wider situated between the other two, and occupying the upper third of a broad zone of pale orange-brown. The lower third of this zone is slightly darker than in the middle On the spire whorls only the sutural band is visible.

Holotype in author's collection.

Habitat.—Oruawharo, east coast Great Barrier Island, (type) empty shell from rock-pool (A. W. B. P., Jan., 1924); Leigh, Hauraki Gulf (Mr Goffe); Castlecliff, Wanganui (Castlecliffian), Upper Pliocene (A. W. B. P., Jan., 1927).

Compared with mustelina, maoriana is a thinner shell with a more elevated conic spire, the outer lip is only feebly thickened, lacking denticles on its inner edge, the colour pattern is distinctive and there is a denticle present on the columella above the plaits. This columellar denticle is present in the Castlecliff specimens, but not in the Recent mustelina, or hectori Kirk from the Pliocene of Petane, which latter species seems to be directly ancestral to maoriana. Kirki Marwick and marwicki Finlay are somewhat similar shells in which the inside of the outer lip is finely denticulate. A Recent Tasmanian species of the maoriana type is May's M. hedleyi.

Subgenus Serrata Jousseaume, 1875.

Type (by tautonomy) Marginella serrata Gaskoin, Recent, Mauritius.

The genotype is about 7.5 mm. in height, has a simple lower canal slightly channelled but not notched, and the inside of the outer lip is finely denticulated. Serrata has been preferred to Eratoidea of Weinkauff 1879, as Woodring (1928, p. 240) has noted that Eratoidea will probably prove a synonym of Serrata.

The New Zealand shells are grouped here provisionally, mainly on account of the weakly channelled basal canal without a sinus, combined with elongate basally tapered outline and a tendency towards denticulation of the inner edge of the outer lip.

Marginella (Serrata) subfusula n. sp. (Figs. 3 and 4).

Shell small, rather thin, ovate, basally tapered, smooth and polished. Spire less than one-third of aperture. Whorls 4, including protoconch of 1.½ broadly rounded smooth whorls. Body-whorl long, broadly rounded above the middle and tapered below, but nowhere constricted. Columella with four moderately strong oblique plaits. Aperture very long, narrow, with parallel sides, channelled above and below, but without a basal sinus. Outer lip strengthened by a

long, straight, evenly developed variciform callus which dies out at the upper channel before reaching the body-whorl. Colour dull-white.

Height, 4.00 mm.; diameter, 2.26 mm. (holotype).

Holotype and two paratypes in the Charles Cooper collection, presented to the Auckland Museum, 1929.

Habitat.—Off the Poor Knights Islands in 70 fathoms; (type) off Poor Knights Islands in 60 fathoms (A. W. B. P. collection, ex. Captain J. Bollons).

This species is intermediate in character between hebescens and fusula. It has the broad spire-whorls of the former although proportionately shorter, but lacks the characteristic basal swelling. From fusula it differs in having a considerably shorter and more broadly rounded spire.

Marginella (Serrata) cairoma Brookes. (Fig. 6).

• 1924. Marginella cairoma Brookes, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 55, p. 154., pl. 7, figs. 4 and 5.

• 1913. Marginella allporti Suter (in part, not of Ten. Woods, 1876, “Lyall Bay”) Manual N.Z. Mollusca, p. 459.

Marginella allporti must be dismissed from the New Zealand fauna, as cairoma and aoteana (a new species described below) together replace all the New Zealand records of this Tasmanian species given in Suter's manual. Compared with cairoma and aoteana, the Tasmanian allporti is a more inflated shell, this being so particularly with regard to the spire-whorls. The aperture also differs greatly in being relatively wider and shorter, and finally the colour bands are very distinctive. Allporti has three bands on the body-whorl, a narrow one above, a second narrow one proceeding from the junction of the outer lip with body-whorl, and a third, a wider one, situated lower down. In cairoma and aoteana the colour bands are restricted to two narrow ones, the upper one proceeding from the junction of outer lip with body-whorl and the second one situated lower down.

In order to facilitate a comparison, the writer provides camera lucida tracings of a Tasmanian specimen of allporti (Fig. 7), together with a figure each of cairoma (Fig. 6) and its benthal relative aoteana (Fig. 5). With regard to one of Suter's records of “allporti,” Lyall Bay (A. Hamilton),” the writer has these specimens before him and they prove to be typical cairoma. During a recent visit to Wanganui, the writer found that the specimens upon which Suter's other records of allporti were based were separable from the Tasmanian species and identical with the species described below.

The localities for Suter's specimens were Cuvier Island, 38 fath.; Little Barrier Island, 20 fath.; and Channel Island, 25 fath.

The writer has examined series of cairoma from the following localities:—Russell, Bay of Islands (A. B. Brookes); Tryphena, Great Barrier Island (under sides of stones embedded in sand near low-water mark, A. W. B. P., Jan., 1923); Whangaroa (W. La Roche,

1924); Poor Knights Islands (Shore) (C. Cooper coll.); Motutapu Island, Hauraki Gulf (under sides of stones at low-water, A. W. B. P., Jan., 1921); Lyall Bay (ex A. Hamilton coll.)

The figured specimen of cairoma is from Whangaroa, and is in the writer's collection; the figured specimen of allporti is from Tasmania, and is from the Rev. W. H. Webster's collection, which was recently presented to the Auckland Museum.

Marginella (Serrata) aoteana n. sp. (Fig. 5).

• 1913. Marginella (Eratoidea) allporti Suter (in part, not of Ten. Woods, 1876), Manual N.Z. Mollusca, p. 459.

• 1928. Marginella allporti (?) Finlay (not of Ten. Woods, 1876). Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 59, p. 249.

This species is a more heavily built shell than cairoma and is rather different in outline. The body-whorl has proportionately a slightly greater diameter, the periphery is more narrowly rounded and the outline more biconic, the result of more rapid tapering towards protoconch and base.

The protoconch is smaller than in cairoma and the outer lip is considerably stronger, being greatly thickened on the inner side and furnished with a moderately strong denticle situated at a higher level than the uppermost plait. Immediately below this denticle a rudimentary second denticle is sometimes present.

The colour pattern is indicated by one or two terminal blotches on outer lip corresponding to the colour bands in cairoma; the ground colour is whitish or pale creamy-buff. Whorls 4. This species is closely allied to cairoma, and both may be considered New Zealand relatives of the Tasmanian allporti. From cairoma it differs constantly in the characters mentioned above, and so far has not been found living in the littoral.

The writer has found cairoma at Tryphena, living on the under sides of stones embedded in sand, but only within a narrow zone near low-water, they being absent from all stones examined below this.

Some specimens of cairoma have a thickened pad just above the point of termination of the upper colour band on the inside of the outer lip, but this is never developed as a tubercle and the outline of the shells is constantly more cylindrical.

Dimensions of aoteana.—Height, 4.6 mm.; diameter, 2.2 mm. (holotype).

Dimensions of cairoma.—Height, 4.6 mm.; diameter, 2.1 mm. (Tryphena).

Holotype in author's collection.

Habitat.—Rangaunu Bay, in 12 fath. (type) (W. La Roche, 1922); Mangonui Heads, in 6–10 fath. (W. La Roche, 1922); Tryphena Bay, in 5–6 fath., Great Barrier Island (A. W. B. P., Jan., 1924); Chatham Islands (ex A. Hamilton coll.).

Hedley's kemblensis should be recognised as a distinct species and not included in the synonymy of allporti as placed by Suter.

Genus Gibberula Swainson, 1840, Treat. Malac., p. 323.

Type (by monotypy) “G. zonata En. Meth. 374, fig. 6” (= oryza Lamk.).

The reference of the New Zealand ficula to Cryptospira Hinds should be discontinued; the genotype being a large heavy shell up to 1½ inches in height, with five strong columellar plaits and a heavily callused labial varix having a smooth inner margin. On the other hand, the use of Gibberula for ficula seems reasonable. I have not seen specimens of the genotype, but it is described as being a small species with a length of about 8 mm., and according to Tryon (1883, p. 40), “has the spire apparent, although short. There are four columellar folds, and in addition a number of transverse denticulations extending nearly the entire length of the inner lip.”

The New Zealand shell compares very well with actual specimens of the Mediterranean miliaria, the species cited as genotype of Gibberula by Suter (1913, p. 466). Miliaria has the characteristic transverse denticulations above the plaits, and like the New Zealand species has a series of similar denticulations along the inside of the outer lip.

Evidently Gibberula has a wide distribution, and there is no reason to doubt the reference of the New Zealand species to that genus.

Gibberula ficula (Murdoch and Suter, 1906).

Habitat.—Off Great Barrier Island, in 110 fath. (type); Ranrgaunu Bay, in 12 fath. (W. La Roche, 1922).

Genus Closia Gray, 1857.

Type (by monotypy) Marginella sarda Kiener, Recent, Indo-Pacific.

Closia profunda (Suter, 1909).

I have seen neither the genotype nor topotypic specimens of the New Zealand species, so Suter's classification is followed, except that the association with Cryptospira is severed as in the previous species.

Summary of the Recent Marginellidae of New Zealand.