122 



EAST COAST MARINE SHELLS 



caught by baiting a basket which should be 



left down over night. 



The egg 

 capsules are 

 arranged in 

 roundish masses 

 which, upon 

 reaching shore, 

 are distributed 

 by the wind. 

 Each capsule 

 contains five 

 to six young. 

 Mostly inhabi- 

 tants of north- 

 ern and Antarc- 

 tic Seas they 

 range from the 



Fig. 48 

 Egg case of Buccinum undatum 



shore to a depth of 100 fathoms. 



BDCCINUM UNDATUM Linne. Waved Whelk. An 

 opaque, almost lustreless shell, sculptured 

 with many fine thread-like spiral ridges 

 arranged in groups; whorls seven to eight; 

 shell wall glazed near inner lip; opercu- 

 lum pale yellow with layers of growth re- 

 sembling the epidermis of shell. Length 

 2.5 inches. 



There are many extraordinary varie- 

 tal manifestations of this species, dwarfs, 

 keeled, elongated, thin, reversed, two to 

 three operculated shells. Some of the most 

 remarkable have been taken off the English 

 coasts. It lives from tide mark to consid- 

 erable depths. In America the specimens 

 are slightly smaller than the European ones. 

 Tons of these whelks are carried to 

 the British fish markets. In the year 1504, 

 when Warham was enthroned Archbishop of 

 Canterbury, there were provided for a feast 

 "8,000 whelks at 5 shillings per 1,000." 



The curious spawn cells are called 

 "Sea Wash Balls" on account of their being 

 used by sailors to wash their hands. 

 PI. 47, Fig. 6 



Newfoundland southward to Charles- 

 ton, South Carolina; Iceland to 

 Mediterranean Coast of France 



GENUS PISANIA Bivona 1832 



Shell oblong; spire prominent; out- 

 er lip thickened, canal short; operculum 

 ovate. 



PISANIA PUSIO Linne. Whorls ten to eleven; 

 growth lines almost rib-like on upper whorls. 



the last becoming smooth; aperture fully 

 half length of shell; outer lip toothed on 

 outer edge; inner lip callus rising into a 

 lip; frequent teeth at base of columella, 

 white plaits on wall above and with canal 

 above them. Color brownish purple with 

 narrow darker bands and white arrowhead- 

 like spots. Length 54 mm. 



PI. 47, Fig. 9 



Florida Keys and West Indies 



PISANIA VARIEGATA Gray. Whorls eight to 

 nine, suture indistinct; about nine strong 

 nodules to each whorl; longitudinally 

 grooved with raised lines which are darker 

 than the ground color, the color of these 

 often interrupted; last whorl much swollen 

 at termination; outer lip elevated and fine- 

 ly crenulated; canal slightly oblique; 

 small tooth-like plait above and extending 

 inside shell. Length 19 mm. 



A specimen collected under a sponge 

 at Llgnumvitae Key, Florida affords the 

 above measurement. It is a rather blackish 

 shell. 



PI. 47, Fig. 5 



Florida Keys to Trinidad; west 



Africa 



GENUS CANTHARUS 

 Tritonidea Swain. 



Roeding 1798; 

 (POT SHELLS) 



Surface generally cancellated; epi- 

 dermis thick; spire pointed; outer lip 

 thickened; Inner wall with tooth above. 



CANTHARUS TINCTUS Conrad. Colored Pot. 

 Spire conical; low longitudinal ribs 

 crossed by riblets; constriction at shoul- 

 der leaving nodules; outer lip thickened, 

 strongly ridged inside, inner lip with se- 

 ries of plaits; color purplish brown, some- 

 times varied with white. Length 1 Inch. 



PI. 47, Fig. 4 



Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to 



Mexico 



CANTHARUS CANCELLARIA Conrad. Cross-Barred 

 Pot. Aperture half length of shell; indis- 

 tinct longitudinal plicae; crossed by wav- 

 ing lines which are more elevated than the 

 plicae, finer ones between; sharp distinct 

 lines inside lip; plait at base of columel- 

 la. Length 1 inch. 



PI. 46, Fig. 22 



South Carolina to Florida and Texas 



