EAST COAST MARINE SHELLS 



85 



EPITONIOT SCIPIO Dall. Depth range 12-30 

 fathoms. 



PI. 32, Fig. 7 



North Carolina; Gulf of Mexico 



EPITONIUM TOLLENI Dall. Shell narrow, 

 whorls nine, gradually increasing in size; 

 about seven lustreless varices on each 

 whorl; suture well impressed; height of 

 aperture greater than width; surface shin- 

 ing. Length 10-15 mm. 



PI. 32, Fig. 4 



North Carolina to West Indies 



EPITONimi TERES Bush. Range 14-16 fathoms. 

 PI. 65, Fig. 8 

 Off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina 



EPITONIUM TURRICULUM Sowerby. Umbilicus 

 partly covered, white, rather thin, often 

 T;ith two faint chestnut bands; very close 

 spiral sculpture; whorls eight to nine with 

 twelve to thirteen ribs some of which are 

 varicose. Length 18 mm. Range 16-2S fath- 

 oms but not infrequently found upon the 

 beaches after storms. 



PI. 32, Fig. 18^ 



North Carolina to West Indies 



SUBGENUS BOREOSCALA Kobelt 1902 



EPITONIUM GROENLANDICUM Perry. Shell 

 elongated; whorls gradually increasing, ten 

 in number, closely contacted, a little con- 

 vex, eight to fifteen stout flattened ob- 

 lique ribs, the spaces between filled with 

 six to eight rounded ridges and revolving 

 lines; lip slightly expanded and producing 

 an angle above. Length 1 inch. 



It is found in the stomachs of fish 

 caught in Massachusetts Bay and upon the 

 beach at Nahant, Massachusetts Range 10-109 

 fathoms . 



PI. 35, Fig. 15 



Greenland to off Block Island, 



Rhode Island 



SUBGENUS OPALIA H. and A. Adams 1853 



EPITONIUM CRENATUM HOTESSIERIANUM Orbigny. 

 Shell thick, white, spirally striated; 

 twelve low, close spiral ribs, less dis- 

 tant on center of last whorl, forming cren- 

 ulations at suture. 



The variety differs from the typi- 

 cal West Indian shell in being much narrow- 

 er. Length 11 mm. 



A rather rare species. 

 ■ PI. 33, Fig. 14 



Florida Keys and West Indies 



SUBGENUS CYCLOSCALA Dall 1889 



EPITONIUM DUNKERIANUM Dall, Shell minute, 

 texture glassy, about five lightly attached 

 whorls, each rounded, about eight indented 

 varices to each whorl; circular aperture, 

 peristome free from wall of shell; umbili- 

 cus large. Length 4.5 mm. 



A very distinct and beautiful lit- 

 tle shell. 



PI. 32, Fig. 10 



Palm Beach to Florida Keys; West 



Indies 



Family Janthinidae 



Fragile, whitish or purplish shells 

 of graceful form; no operculum. Animal 



Fig. 41 

 Egg float of Janthina. 



Now life size 



pelagic, living some miles from land, fas- 

 tened to float in which eggs are attached; 

 float composed of vesicles filled with air, 

 Fig. 41. Radula with a great number of 

 elongated teeth, no central ones. Carnivor- 

 ous and like Epitonium secretes a purple 

 fluid when disturbed. 



GENUS JANTHINA Roeding 1798 

 (VIOLET SHELLS) 



Eyes invisible, tentacles forked so 

 that each appears like a pair. Float found 

 in both sexes, some species viviparous 

 (producing young alive) . 



JANTHINA JANTHINA Linne (J. communis, J. 

 fragilis Lam.). Whorls sloping, convex, 

 violet white above, solid color below. Di- 

 ameter 1.5 inches. 



This the largest Janthina upon our 

 coast is sometimes blown ashore in consid- 

 erable numbers after violent storms. When 



