EAST COAST MARINE SHELLS 



85 



EPITONIUM SCIPIO Dall. Depth range lS-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 



EPITONIUM 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 

 with 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 16-22 fath- 

 oms but not infrequently found upon the 

 beaches after storms. 



PI. 32, Fig. 10 



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, 

 peiistome free from wall of shell; umbili- 

 cus large. Length 4.5 mm. 



A very distinct and beautiful lit- 

 tle shell. 



PI. 32, Fig. 12 



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 bloviTi ashore in consid- 

 erable numbers after violent storms. When 



