88 LITTORINIDiE, 



R. sciJi-PTA, Pliilipi)!. 



Oval-conic, bluntly nodulous where the spiral lyroc intersect 

 the longitudinal folds, which latter do not usually extend to the 

 extreme base ; five spiral rows of nodules on the penult turn. 

 Body whorl broad and short ; volutions prominent, subscalari- 

 form ; the lesser ones excavated at their bases, so as to present a 

 widely channelled suture ; apex acute. Mouth suborbicular, 

 moderately large : throat with rudimentary crena), that are 

 occasionally almost obsolete. 



Plate LXXX. fig. 5, 6". 

 Rtssoa scuij^ta, Philippi, Moll. Sicil. vol. il. p. i;31, pi. *23, f. 21 (fossil). 



Although the aperture is describetl by Phillppi as per- 

 fectly smooth, we cannot doubt, from the rest of his lan- 

 guage, that his fossil species is identical with our recent 

 British shell, especially as the crenai or rudimentary raised 

 sulci of the throat are often scarcely perceptible. 



This species closely resembles both calathus and Beanii as 

 to the general aspect of its sculpture, but differs from both of 

 them in the greater breadth of its body, which affects the ge- 

 neral shape, and the more scalariform structure of its whorls. 



We propose, for brevity's sake, to particularize certain 

 points only of its characteristics, as our description of the 

 subcancellated variety of Beanii will apply to it in all 

 other respects. We have never seen banded examples, but 

 only such as are of an uniform fulvous, tawny orange, or 

 pure white : there are occasionally, however, two rufous 

 stains near the outer lip ; the inner lip does not api)ear 

 tinged with any colouring matter. The foldlike riblets are 

 surmounted at the intersection of the spiral costella by blunt 

 oval nodules; the decussated sculpture is more closely dis- 

 posed, there being ten spiral ro\A's on the body of which 

 the three or four lower ones are often simple ; and five 



