ANTILLEAN OBELISCUS. 



chyl., 1890, p. 244 (Cuba). Obeliscus terebraster Lain., 

 CEOSSE, J. de C., 1892, p. 27. 



This common Porto Rican species was very briefly de- 

 scribed by Lamarck, buit in 1853 Menke redescribed it, and 

 more recently von Martens lias supplied a good description 

 and figures (figs. 11, 12). "The shell is turrite, weakly stri- 

 ate, thjn, dull yellowish and slightly shining when fresh, 

 whitish and shining when worn or rubbed. Apex rather ob- 

 tuse ; there are 10 rather flattened whorls, parted by a rather 

 impressed suture, regularly increasing, 'the last rather rapidly 

 tapering below. The aperture is hardly one-fourth the total 

 length, rather oblique, obliquely piriforrn, acute 'above. 

 Outer lip thin, unexpanded. Columellar margin almost ver- 

 tical, narrow, only in the middle a little flattened, very nar- 

 row below and with an indistinct 'angle where it passes into 

 the basal margin. Length 23, diam. 5, 'aperture 6x3 mm." 



A larger specimen from Luquillo is figured, pi. 30, fig. 6> 

 measuring, length 24, diam. 5.5, aperture 6 mm., with 9!/o 

 whorls. The specimen drawn in fig. 5, said to be from the 

 same place, differs so much in proportions that I am disposed 

 to think it a Cuban shell put with Porto Ricans by mistake. It 

 measures, length 24, diam. 4.8, aperture 4.8 mm., whorls 11%. 



Young shells shaken out of shells from Loisa are oblong, 

 3 mm. long, with 3 whorls and a sinuous columella (pi. 37, 

 fig. 103). 



In Eastern Cuba 0. terebraster has been reported from 

 Brazo del Cauta, Buenavista and Coralillo, all near Santiago, 

 from Gruantanamo, Bayamo and Baracoa. Pfeiffer states 

 that those from Santiago are entirely like Porto Rican shells 

 (Malak. Bl., v, p. 184). Some Cuban specimens before me 

 seem indistinguishable from true terebraster. The anatomy 

 of Cuban should be compared with Porto Rican examples. 

 It is certainly remarkable that the same species should be 

 common to- Cuba and Porto Rico and unknown in the inter- 

 mediate island of Haiti. 



A sinistral Obeliscus, said to be from Porto Rico, is fig- 

 ured on pi. 32, fig. 31. It is not a reversed 0. terebraster, 

 but as the shell is immature, it may remain undescribed 

 pending further information. 



