172 WEST AMERICAN SHELLS 
the fanciful name, on account of their resemblance 
to the strings of a musical instrument. This species 
is also found on the shores of Bering Sea. It is not 
a common shell. 
Buccinum viridum, Dall, the Green Whelk, shown 
in its natural size in Figure 165, is not a north- 
erner, but was dredged from 
water half a mile deep, off the 
Santa Barbara Islands. The 
shell is delicate and thin, and is 
covered with a fine, greenish 
gray epidermis, which easily 
falls off. The outer lip is thin 
and but slightly reflected. The 
length is 46 millimeters. 
We turn back now to certain 
Spindle-shells, the first of 
which is Chrysodomus amian- 
Fig. 165 (*) 
Fig. 166, x % (*) 
tus, Dall, the Unspotted Spin- 
dle-shell, shown in Figure 
166. It has a large, thin, 
white shell, with a promi- 
nent nucleus at the top, while 
it is marked with numerous 
narrow revolving ridges. 
This fine species was dredged 
near the Santa Barbara 
Islands. 
Chrysodomus dirus, Rve., 
the Dire Spindle-shell, Fig- 
ure 94, was described and 
figured on a preceding page. 
It hardly seems to deserve 
