found on the coast of Northumberland and of Durham. 247 



the largest of the cords on the outside of the shell. Inner lip 

 expanded over the ventral part of the body-whorl to nearly 

 its median line. Whorls ventricose, with numerous prominent 

 spirally arranged cords, a large one (the thirty-second of an inch 

 in size on the body-whorl) alternating with a smaller one (half 

 the size of the other), and separated from each other by an 

 interspace or furrow equal in width to one of the latter ; oc- 

 casionally a thread-like line runs along the interspaces : the 

 cords are crossed by slightly elevated lines of growth at the 

 distance of one of the spiral furrows from each other, which 

 gives the surface of the shell rather a decussated appearance. 

 Colour white. Epidermis thin and horn- coloured. [Animal 

 and operculum unknown.] 



This shell is undoubtedly allied to a group of species repre- 

 sented by F. islandicus, but it differs from all those that have been 

 described in some of its characters, such as the prominent spiral 

 cords, the wide expansion of the inner lip, the form of the siphon, 

 &c. In the spiral cords it bears a resemblance to F. striatus, Sow. 

 (particularly the specimens figured in the ' Mineral Conchology/ 

 pi. 22, if they were furnished with a smaller cord running between 

 those that are represented) : in the expansion of the inner lip it 

 offers an approximation to F. norvegicus, and consequently differs 

 from F. islandicus, which has the same part as little expanded as in 

 F. antiquus ; and in the form of the siptan (that is, its tapering 

 off towards the extremity) it resembles. F. antiquus, and thereby 

 differs from F. islandicus, the siphon of which preserves the same 

 width throughout its entire length, fusus islandicus, though with- 

 out a siphonal ridge, so prominent m Fusus antiquus, evidently 

 displays a tendency to form one ; but in F. berniciensis, owing to 

 the evenly rounded form of the siphon and the thinness of its 

 columellar side, there is no appearance of such a tendency. To 

 the Fusus Sabinii of Gray* our shell appears to bear some resem- 

 blance ; but it is much to be regretted, that the smallness of the 

 specimen examined by Mr. Gray will not allow of a rigid compa- 

 rison between it and those of F. berniciensis, the most perfect of 

 which is four times as large. From the description of Fusus Sa- 

 binii, I am led to believe that F. berniciensis is more strongly 

 ribbed, that its aperture is of a different form, that its siphon is 

 longer, and that its lines of growth are not so prominent. 



The deep water on the Northumberland coast has yielded me 

 two specimens of this interesting species. Should I ever be so 

 fortunate as to procure a live one, I will endeavour to complete 

 its specific character. 



* Vide Supplement to Capt. Parry's Arctic Voyage in the years 1819-20, 

 p. ccxl-ccxli. 



