306 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 



Shell. — Very strong, high, narrow, conical, with a subcorneal base, strongish, rather 

 crowded ribs, and small spiral threads, variegated in colour. Sculpture : Longitudinals — 

 the whorls are crossed by rather straight but slightly oblique ribs, which are rather strong 

 than high ; they extend to the base, but not to the snout ; they are dislocated at the top, 

 and are not continuous from whorl to whorl : there are about twelve on the last two whorls ; 

 but they diminish rapidly in number up the spire : every here and there one becomes some- 

 what varicose ; on the base they become flexuous, and tend to bifurcate ; they are parted by 

 narrow and shallow furrows : the lines of growth are fine and crowded, but on the tops of 

 the ribs, especially on the base, they tend to cut the surface into coarsish tubercles. Spirals — 

 below the suture is a broadish but superficial constriction, which is the sinus-area, and is 

 occupied by the dislocated tops of the ribs ; these become on the upper whorls more and 

 more a slightly prominent tubercled string-course below the suture ; this band is cut off 

 by a slight furrow from the true top of the ribs, which project here a little angularly. The 

 whole surface is closely beset with spiral threads and furrows ; of these threads that at 

 the suture is broadish but depressed ; below it is another stronger. On the body and 

 base are about ten, accompanied by one or sometimes two very small ones. The furrows 

 are broadish, square, and flat in the bottom ; on the snout are three or four ; and on the 

 twisted cord in front there are five. Colour : a narrow band above the suture and the 

 sinus-area below are of a deep rich buff, which extends to the whole base, intensifying to 

 a rich ruddy orange on the snout and pillar ; the ribs are white, but except on the snout 

 their interstices are dark purply brown. Spire very regularly conical and high. Apex 

 consists of about 2^ very small, conically tapering, embryonic whorls, parted by a very 

 fine suture, and rising to a minute rounded tip, which is very much bent down on one 

 side. Whorls 13 in all, conical, barely convex, and hardly angulated near the top ; they 

 are short and broad, of very regular slow increase ; the last is small, and contracts quickly 

 but not deeply, with a rounded base prolonged to a broad conical snout which is 

 obliquely cut off in front with a twist, which forms a sort of slight cord across the 

 point. Suture slightly impressed, distinct. Mouth small, narrow, pear-shaped, rather 

 sharply pointed above, with a longish, curved, rather narrow, and open canal in front, 

 which runs down the massive snout, and is patulous, till at the very point the edge is 

 slightly inverted. Outer lip broken : the sinus lies about ts of an inch below the suture, 

 from which it is separated by a strong shelf of that breadth and about iV inch long ; it is 

 deep, rounded, and narrow, being shut in by the high shoulder into which the outer lip 

 projects below it; orange-coloured, through which the dark bars shine. Inner lip: 

 there is a small but thick and narrow pad above ; below it is reverted on the pillar, and 

 has a raised edge ; in front it is not bent back again, but runs down to the point with a 

 prominent sharp edge : the pillar is rather short, strong, not broad, conical, sharp-pointed, 

 not twisted, and not cut off obliquely, as usual, from the right of the shell towards the 

 left, but, on the contrary, from the left to the right : and here the projection of the lip- 



