326 PROCEEDINGS OF UXITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



to Greenland and Northern Europe. It is one of tlie most common 

 species in the cold waters of the Bay of Fundy, near Eastport, Me., and 

 Grand Menan I., in 10 to 100 fathoms, where I have often dredged it, 

 in 1861, 18G3, 1801, ISGo, 1808, 1870, 1872. We have also taken it, on 

 the various U. S. Fish Com. expeditions, off Xova Scotia ; in the Gulf of 

 Maine; Casco Bay; Massachusetts Bay; off Cape Cod, etc., in 12 to 02 

 fathoms. 



Bela decussata (Coutb.) H. aud A. Adams. 



rieurotoma decussata Couthony, Boston Jour. Nat. Hist., ii, p. 183, pi. 4, fig. 

 8, 1839 (now Lara., nee McGLlv.). 

 Gould, Rep. on Invert, of Mass., 1st ed., p. 280, fig. 185, 1841. 

 Mangella decussata Stimpson, SbellsNew Eng., -p. 49, 1851. 

 Bela decussata Gould, Rep. on Invert, of Mass., Binney's ed., p. 354, fig. 623, 

 1870. 

 Verrill, Trans. Conn. Acad., v, p. 472, pi. 43, fig. 13. 



This shell is not uncommon on the New England coast, in moderate 

 depths, mostly in 25 to 75 fathoms. Its range is from off" Martha's Vine- 

 yard (station 091), in 31 fathoms, northward to Labrador. In the Bay 

 of Fundy, where it is not rare, I have taken it in 20 to 100 fathoms, in 

 1808, 1870, 1872. 



Bela pygmcea Verrill. 



Bela tenuicostata (2)ars) Verrill, Proc. Nat. Mus., iii, p. 365, 1860 (non Sars). 

 Bela pygmaea Verrill, Trans. Conn. Acad., v, p. 460, pi. 57, fig. 8, May, 1882. 



Shell very small, fusiform, or subovate, with four or five convex whorls, 

 a very short spire, and a large body- whorl ; sculpture very finely can- 

 cellated or reticulated. The whorls are usually rather evenly rounded, 

 moderately convex, but often have a very slightly marked, rounded 

 shoulder; suture somewhat impressed, rather oblique. The nucleus is 

 relatively not small, with the apex not prominent, so that it appears to 

 be obtuse, or rounded, smooth, glassy. The whole surface below the 

 nucleus is covered by fine, raised, revolving cinguli, separated by slight 

 grooves of about the same width, and by equally fine, slightly sinuous, 

 transverse riblets, coincident with the lines of growth, and receding in 

 a distinct curve on the subsutural band; the crossing of these two sets 

 of lines produces a finely cancellated sculpture over the whole surface, 

 but the transverse lines are usually more evident on the convexity of 

 the whorls, while the spiral lines are more conspicuous anteriorly, and 

 on the siphon. Aperture relatively large, oblong elliptical, slightly 

 obtusely angled posteriorly ; sinus shallow, but distinct, evenly coucave; 

 outer lip els^ewhere evenly convex. Canal short and broad, not con- 

 stricted at base by any incurvature of the outer lip. Columella 

 strongly concave or excavated, in the middle, sigmoid anteriorly. 

 Color of shell, pale greenish white, covered by a thin epidermis of sim- 

 ilar color. 



One of the largest sliells is 5.5'"™ long; 2.75^""' broad; length of body- 

 whorl, 1"""; of aperture, 3'"'". 



