108 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.46. 



breeding experiments * I am now conducting on the Florida keys, 

 under the auspices of the Department of Marine Biology of the 

 Carnegie Institution of Washington, D. C, have been completed. 



The Cerion described in the present paper is as distinct as any of 

 the described species. Were it part of my collecting I would retain 

 the description until the breeding experiments have given a decision 

 upon the desirability, yes, the necessity, of describing the thousands 

 of races which will be found when exhaustive collecting will have 

 been done in the Bahamas. However, since the present species has 

 been distributed under the above name, it is best that it should have 

 a definite status. For the other forms described, no apologies are 

 necessary. 



CERION (STROPmOPS) PEPPERI, new species. 

 Plate 3, figs. 1, 3, 7-12. 



Shell cylindro-conic, moderately tapering at the apex, chocolate 

 brown, crossed with slender, veiy retractive, somewhat irregular, 

 whitish, axial riblets, between which appear finer lines of growth. 

 Base rimate, crossed by the continuation of the axial ribs. Aper- 

 ture small, with a white reflected peristome. Parietal wall pro- 

 vided with a strong fold, which is a little to the right of the middle; 

 the second fold is at the junction of the inner lip and parietal wall. 



This species was found common by Mr. G. W. Pepper, 2 miles 

 south of Mastic Point, Andros Islands, Bahamas. The type, Cat. 

 No. 250217, U.S.N.M., figure 10, has 12 whorls and measures: 

 length, 31.0 mm., diameter, 9.0 mm. 



With the type lot are a number of smaller specimens which have a 

 completed aperture, but a much lesser number of whorls, figures 9 

 and 12. They agree in all characters with the species excepting 

 size and number of whorls. One of these has nine whorls and meas- 

 ures: length, 19.9 mm., diameter, 8.2 mm. Another having nine 

 whorls measures: length, 19.0 mm., diameter 9.5 mm. 



Still another lot of specimens, of which I have seen three, figures 

 1, 3, and 11, are intermediate in size between these two. These three 

 have a second lip, starting from within the first peristome, building 

 out a new growth and leaving the oiigmal refiec^ted peristome as 

 a broad varix. One of these has ten and one eight turns and 

 measures; length 22.9 mm.; diameter 10.0 mm. It would seem as 

 if these smaller specimens indicated a forced maturity owing prob- 

 ably to the effects of a dry season and that with the return of favor- 

 able conditions these three have started a new growth. 



Still two other specimens of this species have, probably owing 

 to some injurj^, assumed a scalariform spire in the later whorls. 

 These two, figures 7 and 8, were collected on a small unnamed key 

 south of Mastic Point, Andros Islands, Bahamas. 



' See Yearbook, Carnegie Institution, No. U, pp. 129-131, and the second report in the next yearbook, 

 not yet issued. 



