NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 5S3 



Descriptions of New, Recent and MIOCENE SHELLS 



BY T. A. CONRAD. 



FA S CIO L A R II D JE? 



BUSYCON, Bolton. 



Recent Species. 



B.plagosum. Dextral, pyriform, moderately thick; body whorl ventricose, 

 but not profound ; angle acute, slightly salient, subtuberculated ; spire mod- 

 erately prominent; whorls slightly concave above; angle below the middle ; 

 summits deeply channelled at the su f ure ; revolving lines prominent and dis- 

 tinct, unequal, with closely-arranged intermediate microscopic lines ; beak 

 produced ; columella fold wide and deeply impressed ; labrum striated within ; 

 strife prominent, acute, about 31 in number; color whitish, with purplish- 

 brown longitudinal bands, and yellowish-brown stains. Length 4j, width 2| 

 inches. 



Locilitg.N. J. ? 



Allied to B. pyrum, (Pyrula spirata, Lam.,) but very distinct. The spire is 

 more prominent and acutely carinated, and the labrum profoundly striated 

 within, whilst in the pyrum it is entire. 



Pyrula spirata, var. Kiener. Lister, iii. f. 737. 



B. spinosum. Dextral, pyriform, volutions 7, angle spinous; spines numer- 

 ous, prominent ; revolving lines alternated in size ; whorls slightly concave 

 above, towards the apex more distinctly concave ; spire rather short; angle 

 near the base of the whorls ; beak moderate in length ; canal wide ; color 

 whitish, with longitudinal brown bands. 



locality. Coasts of U. S. 



This shell has long been confounded with B. aruana, L. (B. carica, Gmel.) 

 but it is a thinner, less ventricose species, growing to a much larger size than 

 the former, with more numerous, less elevated spines, which almost disappear 

 in old shells. 



Busycon elegans. Pyriform; whorls 6, with prominent revolving lines, and 

 minute closely-arranged wrinkles ; angle of body whorl prominently carinated ; 

 spire short, sides straight, oblique, sutural channel profound ; angle of the whorl 

 margins the channel and is tuberculated ; summit of labrum elevated slightly 

 above the carina of body whorl ; within ribbed ; ribs about 35, acute ; color 

 whitish, with numerous irregular brown bands. 



Locality. ? 



The specimen in the Academy's cabinet, is rather less than B. plagosum, 

 and differs in having a shorter spire, in being more ventricose, proportionally 

 shorter, and having the summit of the labrum much more elevated, as well as 

 the carina on the body whorls. 



Fossil Species. 



B. Tritonis. Fusiform, moderately thick ; body whorl profoundly ventri- 

 cose ; lines of growth remote, plicated, revolving lines fine, wrinkled, closely- 

 arranged, with distant more prominent lines ; angle spinous ; spines distant, 

 prominent, foliated ; whorls 6, slightly concave above ; spire somewhat scala- 

 riform ; the spinous angle of the whorls situated considerably above the 

 suture and rounded ; summit of whorls obtusely subcarinated at the suture, 

 which is deeply impressed ; beak sinuous ; columella projecting inwardly 

 below the middle ; fold obsolete. Length 7 inches, width 4. 



Locality. Yorktown, Va. 



B. alveaturn. Fusiform ; spire prominent, scalariform ; angle of whorls 

 1862.] 



