Ancilkt.] GASTROPODA. 455 



Hab. -Whangaroa Harbour (C. Traill) ; Hauraki Gulf, on sandy 

 beaches, between tide-marks ; Manukau Harbour (C. Spencer) ; Titahi 

 Bay and Lyall Bay. Cook Strait ; Banks Peninsula (Iredale). 



Remark. The fossil specimens from Wanganui are mostly much 

 larger than Recent examples, and have usually a higher spire. From 

 Waikopiro I have fossil shells which very closely approach the type 

 of A. depressa. 



Fossil in the Miocene and Pliocene. 



4. Ancilla mucronata, Sowerby, 1830. Plate 49, fig. 4. 



Ancillaria mucronata, Sow., Spec. Conch., pt. 1, 8, f. 47, 48, 1830; Thes. 

 Conch., iii, 63, pi. 211, f. 11, 12, 14 ; Kiener, Icon., 7, pi. 3, f. 3 ; Conch. 

 Icon., xv, pi. 4, f. 10 ; Kiister, Conch. Cab., 20, pi. 6, f. 3, 4 ; Man. 

 Conch. (1), v, pi. 38, f. 31. Ancilla mucronata, Sow., Chall. Rep., xv, 

 229; T. N.Z.I., xxxviii, 287; Ancillaria albisulcata, Sow.: Quoy and 

 Gaimard, Voy. Astrol., iii, 19, pi. 49, f. 5-12 ; Dieff. N.Z., 235, not of 

 Sowerby. 



Shell somewhat cylindrically oblong, varying very much in size, 

 thick, very callous towards the apex, fawn colour. Sculpture consist- 

 ing of very fine granules on the callus of the spire, fine spiral striae 

 on the body-whorl, more distant than in australis, with a shallow 

 groove above the fasciole ; growth-lines fine, a little oblique, faintly 

 reticulating the spiral hues. Colour : The mucronate apex reddish- 

 brown ; the spire light fuscous, darker at the suture ; middle of body- 

 whorl fawii colour, with a narrow white band above and below ; 

 fasciole light brown, columella white, aperture inside fawn colour. 

 Spire moderately elevated, conical, the apex mucronate, its height a 

 little more than half that of the aperture ; outlines lightly convex. 

 Protoconch small, sharply pointed, emerging suddenly out of the thick 

 callus. Whorls of the spire covered by a thick callus, somewhat 

 thickened on the ventral side ; body-whorl moderately convex, not 

 ventricose, narrowed towards the. base. Suture hidden by enamel. 

 Aperture large, high and rather narrow, angled above, broadly truncated 

 and moderately notched below. Outer lip lightly convex, thin, the 

 edge rounded, and with a small sharp tooth outside the groove above 

 the fasciole. Columella vertical, a little excavated on meeting the 

 faintly convex parietal wall, strongly twisted and ornamented with 

 5 to 7 oblique small plaits below. The inner lip narrow upon the 

 pillar, separated by a groove from the fasciole, spreading over the 

 parietal wall, body-whorl, and part of the spire ; there is usually a 

 thick vertical callous layer on the body stretching frcm the pillar up 

 to the upper part of the aperture. "Fasciole with two depressions, 

 smooth, the sinuated growth-periods mostly indistinct. Operculum 

 unknown. 



Diameter, 21 mm. ; height, 45 mm. (Cape Farewell). Diameter, 

 17 mm. ; height, 36 mm. (Auckland Harbour). Diameter, 15 mm. ; 

 height, 34mm. (off Great Barrier, 110 fathoms). Diameter, 11 mm. ; 

 height, 22 mm. (Cape Maria van Diemen). 



