Description (specimen from China Seas) — Shell 30-35 mm. (1-l,33 inches) in height, fusiform, with tall spire, 36-37°, and moderately long slightly flexed anterior canal. The spire angle of the type of tuberculata is 36° and that of the type of nelliae 34°. Spire slightly taller than height of aperture plus canal. Whorls 11- 11,5, including a small smooth erect narrowly conic protoconch of 1,5 whorls. Spire-whorls with a prominent subsutural collar, sharp edged below and bearing one or two spiral threads on its flat surface above, followed by a wide concave shoulder slope, bearing 3-4 fine spiral threads. Peripheral carina prominent, broadly rounded, well below the middle of whorl height and sculptured with 16-19 slightly protractively oblique blunt smooth nodules per whorl, which are longer than wide, the interstices with three spiral threads. Between the peripheral carina and the lower suture are 2-3 smooth spiral threads and the half emergent uppermost of the granulate basal spirals. Base with about 6 granulated primary spirals and a further 4-6 smooth spirals over the neck and anterior end, 1-2 spiral threads in each interspace. Colour pale yellowish brown, obscurely maculated in pale reddish brown between the nodes and granules. Sinus deep, rather wide, with a broadly rounded apex, occupying the middle of the shoulder concavity and confluent below with the broadly arcuate forwardly projected outer lip. Although tuberculata was described from unknown locality, the holotype is labelled "China".

Description of a specimen from Goa, India, shallow-water-Shell 30-32 mm. (about 1,25 inches) in height; 10-10,5 whorls, robust, with heavy rounded peripheral nodules, 14-15 per whorl; basal spirals strongly gemmate. Spire 32-35°, considerably less than height of aperture plus canal.

Description of a specimen from Sumatra, (9-29 metres). Shell 30-35 mm. (l-1,33 inches) in height; 11-12 whorls, lightly built, with moderately strong peripheral nodules, 14-15 per whorl; upper basal spirals finely gemmate. Spire 32-35°, considerably less than height of aperture plus canal. Operculum ovate to leaf-shaped, with a lateral nucleus situated above the middle, on the inner margin.

This subspecies, better known under the preoccupied name of tuberculata (Gray), is rather similar to javana (Linnaeus). The chief differentiating criteria are: —more or less erect peripheral nodes and tuberculate basal spirals in spuria —oblique peripheral nodes and plain basal spirals in javana. There is also a considerable size difference between the two, for an adult javana can reach twice the height of the largest known spuria, but small examples of each of comparable size are often close in appearance. The subspecies spuria is subject to considerable variation geographically, in relation to depth of occurrence and also, presumably, in response to ecological factors. Intertidal shells tend to be proportionately wider, with a relatively short canal, heavy rounded peripheral nodes and strongly tuberculate basal spirals. Dredged shells (9-45 fathoms, Persian Gulf and Sumatra) are slender with a relatively long and only slightly flexed anterior canal. Some shallow-water shells from Chinese waters are broad and robust with distinct tuberculation of the basal spirals but the peripheral nodes tend to be oblique as in javana.

Range: Persian Gulf to China Seas.