Oliver. — Mollusca of the Kermadec Islands. 539 



narrow oblong, obliquely angled behind, truncated in front. Outer lip 

 thick, smooth within. Sinus deep, separated from the body-whorl by a 

 thick callous ridge. Columella smooth within. Canal short, wide. Sculp- 

 ture : Protoconch smooth. Shell with regular low axial ridges, about 15 

 on the body-whorl, slightly constricted at their upper ends near the suture. 

 The ridges extend on to the base of the shell, which at its anterior end has 4 

 oblique low ridges. Entire surface of shell smooth and shining. Colour : 

 Protoconch dark yellow. Shell white, with a faint brown band, dark in 

 patches, along the lower edge of the whorls, but not reaching the outer lip, 

 where, at its anterior end, 2 narrow brown bands are very faintly indicated. 



Height, 6-2 mm. Diameter, 2-2 mm. 



Habitat. — Dead shells in dredgings in 10 m. to 30 m. on gravelly bottom 

 off Sunday Island ; not common. 



Kermia n. gen. 



Shell fusiform, aperture narrow, nearly half the length of the shell. Canal 

 short and wide. Sinus deep, near the suture, surrounded by a thick lip. 

 Protoconch of 2 whorls. Outer lip thick, denticulate within. Columella 

 smooth. 



Type. — Kermia benhami Oliver. 



Kermia benhami n. sp. Fig. 35. 



Description oj Type Specimen. — Shell fusiform, the body-whorl more 

 than half the length of the shell. Whorls 6|, flatly rounded, suture deep. 

 Aperture narrow, slightly oblique, sinuous. Outer lip thick, slightly ex- 

 panded, denticulate within. Sinus deep and broad, near the suture, but 

 surrounded by a thick lip. Inner lip thin, narrow. Columella smooth. 

 Sculpture : Protoconch with 1st whorl smooth, the 2nd crossed by threads 

 which, beginning at the upper suture, pass first longitudinally and singly, 

 then at the periphery bifurcate, each branch passing obliquely to the suture, 

 thus reticulating the lower half. Adult whorls entirely reticulated by 

 axial ribs, about 8 on the first whorl and 20 on the body-whorl, overridden 

 by less prominent and narrower spiral ribs, forming transverse beads at the 

 intersections. There are 2 spirals on the first adult whorl, 5 on the penulti- 

 mate (of which the two upper are smaller than the others), and 13 on the 

 body-whorl counting just behind the outer lip. Of these, the two upper 

 are less prominent than the others. Interstices deep, between the spirals 

 2 to 3 times the width of the latter, and between the axials about \\ times 

 the width of the ribs. At the anterior end of the body-whorl the spirals 

 are more prominent than the axials. The transverse ribs of the body- 

 whorl extend over the expanded outer lip. Under the microscope the 

 whole surface is seen to be finely spirally striated. Colour : Protoconch 

 light brown, remainder of shell uniformly dark brown. Outer lip with a 

 white patch at the sinus and another near the centre. Inner lip and interior 

 i >f aperture pale brown. 



Height, 4 mm. Diameter, 1-5 mm. 



Habitat. — Dead shells abundant in dredgings in 10 m. to 30 m. on gravelly 

 bottom near Sunday Island. 



Mitramorpha expeditionis n. sp. Fig. 36. 



Description of Type Specimen. — Shell broadly fusiform, broadest about 

 the middle, aperture equal in length to the spire. Whorls 6|, flattened, 



