Descriptions of thirty-five new species of land shells from New Guinea, Australia, and islands in Torres Straits, collected during the Chevert Expedition

Abstract

The collection of shells made during the voyage of the " Chevert " is very large, and comprises many species hitherto unknown. The arrangement and descriptions of them, which, by Mr. Macleay's desire, I have undertaken, is not, therefore, a thing that can be done in a day, or in one paper ; I have accordingly limited myself in this, the first of a series of papers, to the descriptions of the new species of land shells in the collection. 1. -Helix (Rhytida) Beddomei. Shell largely and openly umbilicated, rather depressly globose, very thin, obliquely closely rugosely striated on upper surface, pale yellowish brown, shining, irregularly streaked with dark yellow ; apex obtuse, whorls 4|, moderately convex, the last very large, slightly flattened and inflated in front ; suture distinct, rounded at the periphery ; base convex, nearly smooth, umbilicus perspective, margin smooth, aperture oblique, lunately ovate, peristome simple, pinkish within, margins approximating, the right descending in front, collumellar margin broad and reflected. Diam. Maj. 14, min. 11J, alt. 7 lin. Hob. Albany Island and Cape York, North Australia. OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 99 This species is somewhat allied to Helix Franklandensis Forbes -it differs by being much thinner, more turbinated, coarser in sculpture, smaller umbilicus, pale yellowish, with darker radiating streaks. It was first found by Mr. C E. Beddome, on Albany Island, some distance below the surface, amongst great quantities of volcanic scoria, and when at Cape York last July, 1875, I also found it in the same localities 2. -Helix (Rhytida) Jamesi. Shell umbilicated, flatly orbicularly depressed, very closely and finely striated, glossy, bright horn yellow, streaked with brown rays ; whorls 4, slightly convex, quickly increasing, last very large and flattened in front ; not descending, striae showing more plainly at the suture, spire depressed, apex obtuse, roundly convex at the periphery, base rounded, nearly smooth, rayed as above, umbilicus wide and moderately deep, aperture diagonal, lunately oval, peristome thin, simple, margins distant, right straight, the outer arched, columellar slightly reflected. Diam. Maj. 10|, min. 8|, alt. 4 lin. PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY Diam. Maj. 4^, min. 3^, alt. 2, liu. Hab. Palm Island, North-east Coast of Australia. This species varies in colour from bright chestnut to yellowishbrown, and has dark irregular radiating rays. Ten specimens found. 4. -Helix (Thalassia) annulus. Shell minutely perforated, depressed, thin, transparent, smooth, shining olivaceous or yellowish horny, spire moderately conical, apex obtuse, whorls 5, slightly convex, pei'iphery I'ounded, above banded with one dark-brown band running into the suture and spirally to the apex ; base convex, smooth, umbilicus minute, shallow, aperture nearly diagonal, lunate, peristome simple, acute, margins distant, the right thin, the columellar margin whitish, thickened, slightly reflected. Diam. Maj. 6^, min. 5J, alt. 3, lin. Hab. Banks of Katow River, New Guinea. This thin transp...

Molecular phylogenetics and systematic revision of the south-eastern Australian Helicarionidae (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora)

“…The shells of all species, both snails and semislugs, are thin and glossy with reduced sculpture. Early species descriptions were primarily based on shells (e.g., Pfeiffer, 1849Pfeiffer, , 1850Pfeiffer, , 1852Pfeiffer, , 1853Cox, 1864Cox, , 1868Cox, , 1871Cox, , 1873Brazier, 1875aBrazier, , 1875bBrazier, , 1876b, as was the taxonomic framework put together in a series of papers by Iredale (1933Iredale ( , 1937aIredale ( , 1937bIredale ( , 1941Iredale ( , 1942, which included descriptions of 19 new, mostly monotypic genera. Subsequently, a number of small-scale anatomical investigations into single genera or species were published (Dartnall and Kershaw, 1978;Kershaw, 1979Kershaw, , 1981Kershaw, , 1982Kershaw, , 1988Stanisic, 1993aStanisic, , 1993bScott, 1995), but the underlying taxonomy essentially remained unchanged.…”

New records of non-marine, non-camaenid gastropods (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from islands off the Kimberley coast, Western Australia

“…During this survey, which was conducted to document faunal patterns across rainforest patches in the Kimberley, 22 species of terrestrial non-camaenid snails were found. Five of these species, Elasmias manilense (Dohrn, 1863), E. terrestris (Brazier, 1876), Glyptopupoides egregia (Hedley & Musson, 1892), Succinea sp., Liardetia scandens (Cox, 1872), were not recorded during the present Kimberley Island Survey. In turn, the new assimineid species, not recorded previously, has been found on one of the islands.…”

Notes on two species of rhytidid snails from Lizard Island, North Queensland

“…The original description of the species (Brazier, 1876) states that ten specimens were found when the type series was collected. The whereabouts of the other eight specimens (paralectotypes) is not known.…”

“…During a recent visit to Lizard Island, North Queensland, the land snail fauna was surveyed, the results of which will be published elsewhere. Two species of snails belonging to the family Rhytididae, strangesta franklandiensis (Forbes, 1852) and Sa la de/os hobsoni (Brazier, 1876), were found to be widespread members of that fauna and as the author is at present engaged on a taxonomic revision of the Australian species of this family, it was decided to take the opportunity to carry out detailed observations of the two species.…”