176 American Seashells 



Brown {zonata Gould is the same) from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Cape 

 Cod is similar, but rarely over % inch in length, with a flattened shelf -like 

 columella, and often colored with narrow, spiral bands of brown. 



Family FOSSARIDAE 

 Genus Fossarus Philippi 1841 



Fossarus elegans Verrill and Smith Elegant Fossarus 



Plate 25c 



Massachusetts to North Carolina. 



2 to 3 mm. in length, turbinate in shape, with 4 whorls, chalky-white 

 to gray in color and characterized by its delicate sculpturing which consists 

 of 2 strong carinae on the periphery and 3 smaller ones below and a large 

 one bordering the chink-like umbilicus. Between the cords are numerous, 

 distinct, arched riblets. Outer lip thickened by a large varix. 2 or 3 smaller, 

 former varices commonly present on the last whorl. The base of the arched 

 columella is projecting. Uncommon below 70 fathoms. 



Fa7mly ERATOIDAE 



S7ibfa77iily ERATOINAE 



Genus Erato Risso 1826 



Subgenus Hespererato Schilder 1932 



Erato 77iaugeriae Gray Mauger's Erato 



Plate 2 2\v 



North Carolina to Florida and the West Indies. 



ViQ inch in length, resembling a small Marginella, but the curled-in, 

 thickened outer lip has a row of about 1 5 small, even-sized teeth. Upper end 

 of the outer lip is well-shouldered. Shell glossy, tan with a pinkish or yellow- 

 ish undertone. Apex bulbous. Commonly dredged on either side of Florida 

 from 2 to 63 fathoms. 



Erato colim7beUa Menke Columbelle Erato 



Monterey, California, to Panama. 



% inch in length, glossy-smooth, slate-gray in color with a whitish, 

 thickened outer lip. Spire elevated, nucleus brown. Outer lip markedly 

 shouldered above, and bearing about a dozen extremely small teeth. Siphonal 

 canal stained inside with purple-brown. Not uncommon from shore to 50 

 fathoms. Occasionally washed ashore with kelp weed. 



Erato vitellina Hinds Apple Seed 



Plate 20-0 



Bodega Bay, California, to Lower California. 



