Hab.—Attached to Gorgoniæ, West Coast of Africa. Tubicoreen, near Madras, (Dr. Johnston), associated with [B. navicula]. Mediterranean (?). Mus. Brit., Cuming, Stutchbury.
Fossil. Coralline Crag; Mus. S. Wood.
I must premise, with respect to the nomenclature of this and the three following quite distinct species, that in the published descriptions no allusion is made to any one of the characters by which alone they can be distinguished: hence I have been guided by geographical probabilities in assigning the specific name of calceolus to the present species, as Ellis’s specimens came from the Mediterranean; and that of [galeatus] to the North American and West Indian specimens, as Linnæus’ original specimens (according to a statement by Spengler) came from the West Indies. I have assigned new names to the two remaining East Indian species. I may here add that Spengler (‘Skrifter af Naturhist.’ 1 B, tab. 6, fig. 3, 1790) has described, under the name of B. cassis, an allied form attached to the Gorgonia placomus from the seas of Norway; but I do not believe that it is the same with our present species.
General Appearance.—The degree of elongation of the shell in its rostro-carinal axis varies considerably ([3 a], [3 b]): the elongation is due to the production of the rostrum and of the corresponding end of the basal cup. These two portions of the shell always form together an angle, and sometimes an acute angle, whereas in all the many specimens which I have seen, the carina and the carinal end (or heel) of the basis together form a straight line; yet I should not be surprised if this end of the shell was sometimes produced. The surface of the shell is smooth, or sometimes marked with very minute projecting points: it is almost always covered by the horny bark of the Gorgonia. The colour is either dull purplish-red or dull purple, with obscure longitudinal stripes, and often more or less transversely banded with white. The rostrum is either white or very feebly tinted, being always paler than the rest of the shell: the radii are usually paler than the parietes, and are sometimes white: the carinal end of the basal cup is tinted of the same colour with, but rather paler than, the compartments. The orifice is rather small compared to the shell, and nearly heart-shaped. The carino-lateral compartments are about one-third of the width of the lateral compartments. The shell is very strong, and the sutures resist the action of boiling caustic potash. The largest specimen which I have seen was .7 of an inch in extreme length, and under .25 in extreme breadth.
Structure of the shell and basis.—The parietes are permeated by quite distinct pores,—a character sufficient by itself to separate this from the following species; the longitudinal septa forming the tubes are slightly denticulated at their bases. The radii have their summits quite square, extending from apex to apex of the adjoining compartments. The alæ have oblique summits. The sutural edges of the radii have approximate septa, which are obscurely denticulated: the interspaces are filled up solidly, so that the radii are not porose. The basis is distinctly porose, by which this species can be distinguished from [B. navicula] and [cymbiformis]. The basis has a deep furrow on the under side, from clasping the thin horny axis of the Gorgonia: the basal point of the rostrum is also notched from the same cause, and, as a consequence, its upper surface becomes slightly furrowed along its whole length.
The Scuta have an articular ridge but moderately prominent, and only slightly reflexed; the basi-tergal corner is rounded off; there is no adductor ridge; there is a small, rather deep, distinct pit for the lateral depressor muscle. Terga; externally the surface is considerably depressed in the line of the spur. The spur is between half and one-third of the width of the valve: its lower end is square and truncated, or in some degree rounded; it is sometimes ([3 e]) dentated with a few, minute, sharp teeth. The articular ridge is but slightly developed; the crests for the depressor muscle are very feeble.
Animal’s body unknown.