200 American Seashells 



smooth, dark-brown. Outer lip turned back, slightly thickened and with its 

 inner edge crenulated. Color white to light-cream, with the ridges straw- 

 yellow. Periostracum thin and light yellowish brown. No operculum in 

 adults. Uncommon from 96 to 300 fathoms. Very rare in private collections. 



Family FICIDAE 

 Genus Ficus Roding 1798 



Ficus communis Roding Common Fig Shell 



Plate 9! 



North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico. The Bahamas. 



3 to 4 inches in length, thin, rather fragile, and with spiral threads which 

 are sometimes made reticulate by axial threads. Uncommon, except on the 

 west coast of Florida where it is washed ashore in great numbers. No oper- 

 culum present. Formerly known as Pyrula and Ficus papyratia Say, but the 

 latter name is preceded by two earlier names, communis Roding 1798 and 

 reticulata Lamarck 1816 (as well as 1822). 



Carol's Fig Shell (named after Mrs. Richard W. Foster), Ficus carolae 

 Clench, is very rare, and is irregularly spotted with reddish brown on the 

 inside of the shell. It was first discovered by Mr. Leo L. Burry of Sarasota off 

 Key Largo, Florida, in 100 fathoms. 



Order NEOGASTROPODA 

 Superjamily MURICACEA 



Family MURICIDAE 



Subfa7mly RAPANINAE 



Genus Forreria Jousseaume 1880 



Forreria belcheri Hinds Giant Forreria 



Plate 24) 



Morro Bay, California, to Lower California. 



3 to 6 inches in length, solid, smoothish, cream-brown; surface with 

 10 prominent, pointed, scale-like spines on the shoulder of each whorl. These 

 are the tops of the varices which flatten out and are welded closely to the 

 lower part of the whorl. Former siphonal canals prominent to the left of 

 a narrow, not deep umbilicus. Interior enamel-white. Common in intertidal 

 areas near oyster bars. Also down to 15 fathoms. 



Subgenus Austrotrophon Dall 1902 

 Forreria cerrosensis cerrosensis Dall Cerros Forreria 



Off southern Lower California. 



Figure 44a, b 



