A, E. Verrill—Mollusca of the New England Coast. 421 
Trophon abyssorum Verrill, sp. nov. 
Trophon clavatus Verrill, these Trans., vi., p. 176, 1884 (non Sars). 
Shell rather small, stout-fusiform, 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, smooth 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 lamellz, corresponding with the lines of growth, and 
at the shoulder forming the prominent spines. Sometimes the lamelle 
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, 
5™™ ; not including spines, 3°5™™ ; length of aperture, 5™™; its breadth, 
157"; length of canal, 2°5™™. 
Variety, limicola Verrill, nov. 
In this variety the transverse lamelle 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. 
