76 TRANSACTIONS OF THE WAGNEK FREE 



greater prominence of its revolving ridges, and in the deficiency of its 

 columellar plaits. The shoulders of the whorls are also much less 

 depressed than in the recent species, rising at a considerable angle instead 

 of being nearly flat. 



In the sum of its characters the Florida fossil appears to be most 

 closely related to Vasuiii imperialis, but unfortunately this assumption is 

 based solely upon an examination of the figures and description of that 

 form, the collections of the Academy of Natural Sciences, otherwise so 

 rich in the department of conchology^ being deficient in the species. 



Genus MAZZALINA, Conrad. 



This genus was constituted by Conrad for the reception of an Eocene 

 fossil from Claiborne, Ala., which in general characters approximates the 

 recent forms now generally referred to Lagena of Schumacher. The 

 genus is thus briefly characterized (Journ. Acad. Nat. Sciences of 

 Philadelphia, 2d ser., iv, p. 295) : " Turbinate, smooth ; columella 

 projecting interiorly and furnished with closely arranged, oblique, obtuse 

 plaits." Mr. Tryon, in monographing the species of recent shells, appears 

 to have overlooked this description, for in the appendix to his review of 

 the family Fusidffi (Manual of Conchology, iii, p. 225, 1881) he makes 

 the following statement: " Genus Mazzalina, Conrad, not characterized;" 

 and further: "The type \M. pyrula\ appears to be very similar to 

 Lagena, Schum., if not identical with that genus. I figure it from the 

 original specimen." 



The reference of the genus to Lagena is, I believe, erroneous, and 

 is probably founded upon an imperfect examination of the unique 

 specimen, which is decidedly Lageniform, and the assumption that other 

 specimens, if found, would depart somewhat from the type, and more 

 nearly approximate the recent form. In the light of additional speci- 

 mens obtained during our recent explorations, I can affirm that the 

 characters, such as they are, separating Mazzalina from Lagena are 

 distinct and permanent, and leave no doubt as to the propriety of 

 separating the two genera (or sub-genera). These characters are most 

 clearly exhibited in the peculiarly flexuous disposition of the columella, 

 the deflected and produced canal, obliquity of the columellar plaits, and 

 the absence of an umbilicus. The general form of the shell, too, is 

 rather pyriform than bucciniform. 



Mazzalina bulbosa, nov. sp. Fig. 7. 



Shell bulbiform, or imperfectly pear-shaped, ventricose, thin in sub- 

 stance ; spire conical, made up of about six convex whorls ; aperture 

 about two-thirds the length of the shell, oval, and produced anteriorly 

 into a (deflected) canal of moderate length ; outer lip thin, notched below 



