OLIVIDAE 245 



7 to 14 inches in length, very heavy. Color cream-white with a thick, 

 light-brown periostracum. Interior often tinged with glossy, pinkish cream 

 or deep, brownish orange. Columella bears 3 strong, widely spaced folds. 

 Middle of whorl on inside of aperture often with a spiral, weak ridge. A left- 

 handed specimen of this species would be worth its weight in silver. Once 

 called Turbinella scolyma Gmelin. Common in the Bahamas and Cuba. 



Subfamily VASINAE 

 Genus Vasum Roding 1798 



Vasum muricatum Born Caribbean Vase 



Plate 23I 



South half of Florida and the West Indies. 



2% to 4 inches in length, heavy. Blunt spines are at the shoulder and 

 near the base. Shell chalk-white, covered by thick, black-brown periostra- 

 cum. Aperture glossy-white and with a purplish tinge. Columella with 5 

 strong folds, the first and third being the largest. Rather common, often in 

 pairs, in shallow water. Preys on worms and clams. 



The subspecies coestiis Broderip 1833 (Panamanian Vase) occurs from 

 the Gulf of California to Panama, and differs only in having 4 (rarely 5) 

 columella folds and in having heavier spiral cords. It is common. 



Superfajnily VOLUTACEA 



Fa7jnly OLIVIDAE 

 Genus Oliva Bruguiere 1789 



Olha say ana Ravenel Lettered Olive 



Plate 12a 



North Carolina to Florida and the Gulf States. 



2 to 2% inches in length, moderately elongate, with a glossy finish and 

 with rather flat sides. Color grayish tan with numerous purplish brown and 

 chocolate-brown, tent-like markings. A common species found at night 

 crawling in sand in shallow water. Formerly called O. litterata Lamarck. 

 Do not confuse with O. reticularis which is generally smaller, which has a 

 much more shallow canal at the suture, whose apical whorls are slightly con- 

 vex instead of slightly concave, and whose sides of the whorls are more 

 convex. Dead specimens buried for a long time in bay mud may take on an 

 artificial black coloration. 



Oliva reticularis Lamarck Netted Olive 



Plate I2C 



Southeast Florida and the West Indies. 



