EAST COAST MARINE SHELLS 



121 



toothed, internally crenulated. 



GENUS NASSARIUS Dumeril 1805, Nassa of 

 Authors (BASKET SHELLS) 



Animal with broad foot, with horns 

 in front and two little tails behind; very 

 quick and active in its movements. 



NASSARIUS OBSOLETUS Say. Obsolete Basket. 

 Shell dark reddish brown, covered with net- 

 work of lines, often folded; aperture deep 

 violet; outer lip sharp. 



Animal mottled with slate color and 

 very active. It feeds upon dead fish or 

 crabs and may be observed living in count- 

 less numbers upon muddy shores away from 

 the surf. Brackish water, well drained at 

 low tide, is preferred. No shell of equal 

 size is so abundant upon the north Atlantic 

 coast. 



Old individuals are much eroded, 

 particularly the early whorls, consequently 

 adolescent examples provide better cabinet 

 specimens. A greenish mould-like plant 

 vegetates upon this Nassarius. Length 1 

 inch. 



PI. 46, Fig. 12 



PI. 69, Fig. 9 



Nova Scotia to west Florida 



NASSARIUS TRIVITTATA Say. Three-Banded 

 Basket. Shell greenish white, surface cov- 

 ered with network of lines giving a cross- 

 barred effect, often three dark bands on 

 lower whorls; shouldered at suture; raised 

 lines within lip. Length 16 mm. 



Animal whitish, spotted with pe'.e 

 lilac; see PI. 68, Fig. 13. 



Worn examples are frequently taken 

 upon the beaches. 



PI. 46, Fig. 10 

 PI. 69, Fig. 7 



Nova Scotia to St. Augustine, Flor- 

 ida 



NASSARIUS VIBEX Say. Shell thick and short; 

 surface with waving folds and revolving 

 lines, zoned with light and dark areas; 

 thick enamel upon inner wall of shell with 

 granulations below. Length 10 mm. 



A common shell in Florida waters, 

 rare in the north. Fresh dead specimens 

 exhibit attractive coloring. There are a 

 number of variations. 



PI. 46, Fig, 13 



PI. 69, Fig. 8 



Cape Cod to V.'est Indies 



NASSARIUS AiffilGUA Montagu. A short, solid 

 form, whorls well rounded or shouldered; 

 suture deep and distinct, sometimes with 

 canal; thirteen to fourteen almost straight 

 well-marked rounded ribs, extending from 

 suture to suture, crossed by many fine 

 ridges which alternate in size; aperture 

 small, almost circular, outer lip thickened; 

 color yellowish or white, spotted or banded 

 with brown. Length 8-15 mm. 



PI. 46, Fig, 16 



Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to 



V.'est Indies 



NASSARIUS ACUTUS Say, Pointed Basket. 

 Shell acute, whitish, cancellations resem- 

 bling granules; transverse grooves deeper 

 than the spiral ones; spire longer than 

 body whorl; suture moderately impressed; 

 outer lip incrassated. Length 12 mm. 



Related to N. ambigua but a much 

 rarer shell. The peculiar lip separates it 

 from the last species. 



PI. 46, Fig. 17 



North Carolina to Gulf of Mexico 



NASSARIUS CONSENSA Ravenel. Harmonious 

 Basket. A rather slender shell with fine 

 spiral threads and somewhat scalariform 

 spire. The restricted callus area adjacent 

 to the columella is a feature. Range 5-50 

 fathoms. 



PI. 46, Fig. 11 



North Carolina to Gulf of Mexico 



NASSARIUS HOTESSIERI Orbigny. Hotessier's 

 Basket. In this species the spiral sculp- 

 ture is rather pronounced, the ribs some- 

 what infrequent, and the colinnellar callus 

 moderately extended. It is from deeper wa- 

 ter than the other species, occurring in 

 38-85 fathoms. 



PI. 46, Fig. 14 



North Carolina to Gulf of Mexico; 



West Indies 



Family Buccinidae 



Shell notched in front, or with ca- 

 nal reflected; animal carnivorous. 



GENUS BUCCINUM Linne 1767 (WHELKS) 



Shell few whorled, aperture large, 

 canal short. 



The whelk is dredged in Great 

 Britain for the market and eagerly sought 

 by those with a slender purse. It may be 



