420 BASILISSA. 



close to the suture, but these beads are very feeble on the last 

 whorl. In the intervals of the longitudinals and parallel to them 

 are very faint lines of growth. Of spirals there are above the 

 carina two stronger than the rest, with a sharp intermediate 

 furrow ; above these are several hair-like lines, which become 

 feebler toward the middle of the whorl and strong again above, the 

 upper whorls presenting one in particular, which connects the row 

 of infra-sutural beads. On the base below the carina are four 

 narrow and sharp spirals, followed by about eight, which are 

 broader and flattened, ami within these is one stronger than the 

 rest, with about sixteen rounded beads, which crenulate the edge of 

 the umbilicus. The furrows between these basal spirals are cut 

 into little oblong pits by the longitudinals. Color a dead creamy 

 wnite, with the underlying nacre gleaming through. Spire high 

 and conical. Apex flattened, with the minute, smooth, 1} em- 

 bryonic whorl somewhat tumidly projecting. Whorls 8J, of slow 

 and regular increase. In the earlier whorls there is a slight- 

 tumidity below the suture, a slight contraction in the middle, and a 

 slight swelling around the base of each whorl. This last feature is 

 feebly persistent in the later whorls, but otherwise these are flat in 

 profile. There is a sharp carinated angle, and the base is almost 

 flat, with an angled tubercled umbilical edge. Suture linear, almost 

 invisible. Mouth perpendicular, somewhat rectangular, and broader 

 than high. Outer lip sharp and thin, not patulous, not descending, 

 with a rather deep but broad and open sinus at the suture, forming 

 a slightly acute angle at the periphery, where it advances very 

 markedly, retreating immediately to form a sinus on the base, 

 where it is barely arched. Pillar-lip which is somewhat thickened, 

 advances very little at its junction with the body, then retreats 

 slightly so as to form a small sinus, bending at the same time a 

 very little over the umbilicus. It has a sort of double point with 

 a slight nick between them. It is very slightly reverted, and the 

 umbilical groove behind it is very small. Umbilicus funnel-shaped, 

 oblique-edged, crenate on the margin, and strongly scored within, 

 and with an oblique spiral formed by the old points of the false 

 pillar-end. Alt. "25, diam. '24 inch. ( Watson.) 



Off Culebra, W. Ind., 390 fms. ; near Guadeloupe, 769 fms. ; 

 near Grenada, 416 fms. 



B. alta WATSON, Journ. Linn. Soc. Lond. xiv, p. 597 ; Challenger 

 Gasterop., p. 100, t. 7, f. 8, var. oxytoma, I. c., f. 8a. DALL, Blake 



