144 American Seashells 



coiled mass (Erect Worm-shell); the latter occurs in deep water off south- 

 east Florida. 



Genus Aletes Carpenter 1857 

 Aletes squamigerus Carpenter < Scaled Worm-shell 



Plate 2oe 



Forrester Island, Alaska, to Peru. 



Grows in large, twisted masses. The shelly tubes are circular, K to % 

 inch in diameter. Sculpture of numerous, minutely scaled or rough, longi- 

 tudinal cords. Color gray to pinkish gray. The last part of the shell which 

 usually stands erect for % inch is smoothish. A very common, colonial spe- 

 cies found in masses on wharf pilings or attached to rocks below the low- 

 water line. 



Genus Spiroglyphus Daudin 1800 

 Spiroglyphus Htuellus Morch Flat Worm-shell 



Plate 2od 



Forrester Island, Alaska, to San Diego, California. 



A small worm-tube mollusk found adhering to rocks and the shells of 

 abalones in a tightly wound, flat spiral. The last whorl may grow up on top 

 of the previous whorls and be erect for ^ of an inch. Aperture circular, 

 about Vs inch in diameter. Shell solid, with 2 large, scaled cords which give 

 a somewhat squarish cross-section to the whole shell. Hollow scales and 

 fimbriations present elsewhere. Color cream to purplish gray. Operculum 

 horny, multispiral and brown. Moderately common. 



There is a very similar species reported from the West Indies (5. annu- 

 latus Daudin). 



Family SILIQUARIIDAE 

 Genus Vermicularia Lamarck 1799 



Vermicularia spirata Philippi West Indian Worm-shell 



Plate 21c; figure 22i 



Southeast Florida and the West Indies. 



Evenly and closely spiraled for about ^ inch, then becoming random 

 and drawn out in its worm-like coiling. Shell rather thin, colored a trans- 

 lucent to opaque amber, orange-brown or yellowish. Early whorls dark, 

 smooth, except for i (rarely 2) smooth, spiral cord on the middle of the 

 whorl. Subsequent whorls with 2 major cords which soon lose their promi- 

 nence. Smaller threads present, especially on the base of the shell. This is 



