122 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. io» 



In 1907 Dall described a Chrysodomus variciferus, which was 

 characterized by having "about seven sharp, thin, very prominent 

 varices" on the last whorl. In 1921 he listed this same species as 

 Chrysodomus solutus variciferus. Since Hermann (1781) devotes the 

 greater portion of his description of Buccinum solutum to stressing the 

 varices of his species (although they were irregularly spaced rather 

 than evenly spaced as in Ball's species), it is difficult to understand 

 why Dall assigned a form with varices to a subspecies of A^. soluta, 

 the chief characteristic of which was its varices. One can only 

 suppose that he confused A'^. soluta and A^. satura and intended 

 making varicifera a subspecies of N. satura. This is equally difficult 

 to understand, for it is well known that specimens of N. "satura" are 

 often lamellose. (See remarks under Neptunea middendorffiana.) 



Distribution: Point Barrow southwest to Bering Strait, and 

 Plover Bay, Siberia, southeast to Cape Douglas (about lat. 65° N., 

 long. 167°'W.), Alaska. 



Neptunea heros (Gray, 1850) 



Plate 15 



Tritonium (^Fusus) antiquum var. communis obsoletior* forma normalis Midden- 



dorff, 1849d, pt. 2, p. 461 (=p. 132 of 1849c), pi. 2, figs. 1, 2; 1851, vol. 2, 



pt. 1, p. 228, pi. 9, figs. 1, 2. 

 Tritonium (Fusus) antiquum var. communis insignior Middendorflf, 1849d, pt. 2, 



p. 462 (=p. 133 of 1849c), pi. 5, figs. 3-6 (figs. 3, 4 are of younger specimens). 

 Tritonium {Fusus) antiquum var. communis obsoletior forma normalis, apertura 



alta Middendorff, 1851, vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 228, pi. 9, figs. 3, 4. 

 Tritonium {Fusus) antiquum var. communis insignior forma elatior Middendorff, 



1851, vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 228, pi. 8, fig. 1. 

 Tritonium {Fusus) antiquum var. communis ijisignior forma normalis Middendorff, 



1851, vol. 2, pt. 1, pi. 8, fig. 2. 

 Chrysodomus heros J. Gray, 1850, p. 15, pi. 7. 

 Fusus fornicatus Reeve, 1843-1878, vol. 4, Fiisus, pi. 16, fig. 63. 

 Chrysodomus saturus communis Dall, 1921, p. 97. — Oldroyd, 1927, pt. 1, p. 235. 

 Chrysodomus solutus Dall, 1921, p. 97 (in part). 



Eleven living specimens were dredged: 3 (47 by 28 mm., 77 by 45.5 

 mm., and 96 by 52 mm.) at Eluitkak Pass; 2 (24 and 27 mm. in height) 

 at 120 feet; 1 (73 by 46.5 mm.) at 130 feet; 1 (74.5 by 45 mm.) at 

 138 feet; 2 (64 by 35 mm. and 106 by 55.5 mm.) at 522 feet; and 2 

 (89 by 48 mm. and 100 by 54 mm.) at 741 feet. Eleven often badly 

 broken and barnacle-encrusted shells, usually inhabited by hermit 

 crabs, were dredged at 152, 184, 295, 341, 438, 741 feet, and at 

 Eluitkak Pass. 



Other material examined: Specimens in the collection of the U. 

 S. National Museum from localities ranging from Point Barrow to 

 Siberia and to Nunivak Island and the Pribilofs. 



• Mlddendorfl (18Mb, p. 226) calls attention to a printer's error on page 131, Una 23, of his "Beltrage" 

 11849c— equals p. 460, 1849dl, In which "communis elatior" appeared instead of "communis obsoletior." 



