46 FUSID^. 



Family FUSID^. 



Shell more or less spindle-shaped, witliout varices ; the lip of 

 the aperture not thickened. 



Operculum ovate, acute, with apical nucleus. 



The animal possesses the essential features of a Mure v. 



Dentition. That of the typical genus Fusus does not differ es- 

 sentially from that of Fasciolaria ; Stimpson states* that it has the 

 saw-like lateral teeth of Fasciolaria, whilst Macdonaldf found an- 

 other species to possess lateral teeth of the Muricoid type. Tros- 

 chel finds a Fasciolarioid dentition in Fusus Si/rncusaiius^a.uc\ he 

 has accordingly made for it a new genus, Aptyxis; but Schacko has 

 recently found the same dentition in Fusus incnnstans Lischke, a 

 typical Fusus. I think that Macdonald nnist have mistaken some 

 other genus for Fusus. The dentition of Sipho, which, according 

 to Troschel, resembles tliat of FascioJaria is shown by the more 

 recent investigations of Sars to be Buccinoid. Ptych atract us,yvith 

 evident resemblance to Fasciolaria has a peculiar dentition, ap- 

 proaching Murex^'A\\(\ on this character alone Stimpson, followed 

 by (iill, assigns to it a distinct family. 



Neptunea, Melongena, etc., long classed with Fusidai are now 

 brought into more intimate relationship with Bucci.num^ and 

 Bust/con, and TudicJa will go into the same group; on the other 

 hand Perister-nia^ 7ya/^;•^/.s, etc., foj'merly included in TurV)inellidai 

 have a Fasciolarioid dentition, which, with added conchological 

 characters may suffice for tlicir removal from that to the present 

 family. Stimpson I describes and figures the dentitiou of an 

 unknown species of Peristernia from the coast of Georgia, which 

 has the essential features of Busycon, and he thereupon places 

 the genus in Neptuniinas but it is evident that he Avas in error, 

 as Troschel figures known species, which arc Fasciolariform in 

 dentition as they are in conchological characters. 

 Sub-family Fusiuae. Columella not plicate, not tortuous. 



Sub-family Fascioloriin^f. ( 'olurnella tortuous witli obliqu(^ plaits 

 or plications. 



* Am. .lour. Conch. I, 54. 



t Ann. Majr. Nat. Hist.. 4th Ser. II, 24:!. 



X Am. Jour. Conch., I, 60. 



