A. K Verrill — Mollusca of the N'ew England Coast. 421 

 Trophon abyssorum Verriii, sp. nov. 



Trophon clavatas Verrill, these Traus., vi., p. IVG, 1884 {non Sars). 



Shell rather small, stout-fasiform, with strongly angulated whorls 

 and a long, slender, straight canal. The spire consists of three or 

 four whorls besides' the nucleus, which is rather large, consisting of 

 about two prominent, smootli whorls. Below the nucleus the whorls 

 are strongly shouldered a little above the middle, the carination of the 

 shoulder being sharply angulated and usually surmounted by a circle 

 of strong, acute, hollow spines, usually eight to ten in number, which 

 sometimes project at right angles, but frequently curve upward more 

 or less strongly. The suture is impressed and the upper slope of the 

 whorl rises rather abruptly from the suture and is usually flattened 

 and somewhat concave near the shoulder, but sometimes a little con- 

 vex ; below the shoulder the whorl slopes rapidly to the suture. The 

 last whorl is large and convex below the shoulder, and slopes rapidly 

 to the base of the canal, which is long, narrow, nearly straight, but 

 often a little upturned near the tip. The sculpture consists of more 

 or less distinct lamellae, corresponding with the lines of growth, and 

 at the shoulder forming the prominent spines. Sometimes the lamellae 

 are prominent and distinct entirely across the whorls, and to the base 

 of the canal on the body-whorl, in other cases they are nearly obso- 

 lete except close to the spines. The aperture is elongated, strongly 

 angulated at the shoulder of the last whorl and constricted anteriorly 

 at the base of the canal. 



The color is translucent bluish white in alcohol, with the nucleus 

 sometimes pale flesh-color. 



Length of a medium sized example, 8""; breadth, including spines, 

 5mm . QQ^ including spines, 3"5"'™ ; length of aperture, 5""™ ; its breadth, 

 l-S'"'" ; length of canal, 2-5'"™. 



Variety, liniicola Verrill, nov. 



In this variety the transverse lamellae on the whorls are more 

 numerous and much closer together, but in crossing the shoulder they 

 do not form spines of so large size, frequently rising into sharp scales 

 or small spinules, but at other times they assume the character of 

 spines, more nearly approaching the form already described. The 

 number of lamelliform ribs amounts frequently to eighteen or twenty. 

 In shape the shell is very nearly like that of the typical form with 

 the canal long, narrow and pinched up at the base, but the aperture 

 is more rounded externally, owing to the less angulated shoulder. 



