20 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 9I 



upon the last whorl. These ribs and the spaces that separate them are 

 marked by lines of growth, which also extend across the posterior 

 sulcus and over the base and columella and give to the general sur- 

 face a finely reticulated clothlike sculpture. Suture slightly impressed. 

 Base well rounded, marked by four strong nodulose spiral cords like 

 the spire and the intervening spiral threads. Columella rather long, 

 twisted, with an obscure indication of an umbilicus at its tip, marked 

 by seven strong, broad, rounded, very nodulose spiral cords, and 

 six slender threads on the anterior tip. Between and on the strong 

 cords on the columella finer threads are present. Aperture rather 

 long, strongly channeled anteriorly and posteriorly, the posterior chan- 

 nel almost forming a tube, since the outer lip and the parietal callus 

 bend forward, partly closing it. The outer lip bears a strong varix 

 one fifth of a turn behind its edge, and beyond this is drawn into a 

 clawlike element, which bends in very slightly toward the aperture. 

 The inner lip is strongly developed and projects considerably beyond 

 the columella and extends as a rather thickened callus over the parietal 

 wall, forming a decided knob at the termination of the posterior angle 

 of the aperture. 



Type. — U.S.N.M. no. 429821, dredged at station 96 in 270 to 330 

 fathoms between latitude i8°36' N., longitude 65°05'30" W. and 

 latitude i8°37'i5" N., longitude 65 "03' W. It has lost the nucleus and 

 first postnuclear turn. The 12 whorls measure: Length, 27.6 mm; 

 diameter, 6.7 mm. 



U.S.N.M. no. 430514 contains three specimens dredged at station 23 

 in 260 to 360 fathoms between latitude i8°32'i5" N., longitude 66° 

 I7'45" W. and latitude i8°32' N., longitude 66°2i'i5" W. From one 

 of these the nucleus and first postnuclear whorl were described. 



This species is most nearly related to Compsodrillla tristicha, Dall 

 (=Drillia tristicha, Dall), which came from between the Mississippi 

 Delta and Cedar Keys from a depth of 196 fathoms, but is easily 

 distinguished from it by its much more slender form and detail of 

 sculpture. 



COMPSODRILLIA DISTICHA, n. sp. 

 Plate 6, figs. 6-8 



Shell elongate-conic, covered with a very pale, ashy, dehiscent peri- 

 ostracum, which in the type is absent on the base and columella and 

 gives the shell a decidedly bicolored effect, the shell itself appearing 

 white. Nuclear whorls 2.5, well rounded, smooth, the last half crossed i| 

 by a small number of axial riblets. First postnuclear whorl with two ' 



nodulose spiral cords. On the next turn these split into two and three 



