64 THE NAUTILUS. 



ANCYLUS excentricus Morelet. Figures 4, 5. 



This is an A)icylus with move excentric apex than any heretofore 

 known in the United States. The apex is one-fourth the length from 

 the posterior end, and so strongly inclined to the right as to be about 

 midway between a median line and the right border. The shell is 

 horn-colored, fragile, oval, a trifle narrower behind ; in outline the 

 profile is convex in front of the apex, concave behind it. There are 

 slight indications of the most delicate riblets radiating from the apex. 

 Length 4, diam. 3, alt. 1.1 mill. Three specimens collected by Mr. 

 Singley in Comal Creek at Xew Braunfels, Comal Co., Texas. The 

 range of this species includes Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica. 

 It has not been reported from ^lexico. The identity of the Texas 

 shells with the Central American is reasonably certain. I have 

 compared specimens. Crosse and Fischer's figures are a trifle slen- 

 derer posteriorly, but undoubtedly represent this species. 

 ( To be continued.) 



CRITIQUES AND COMMENTS. 



IX Mr. Carpenter's article, " The Shell-bearing Mollusca of Rhode 

 Island," in the August Xautilus, page 45, he mentions the 

 " Family Verticordiidie," and says " not represented in America." 

 "While the Verticordiidie are not shore shells, nor even shallow water 

 forms, they cannot be regarded as exotic unless Mr. Carpenter's 

 America is restricted to the littoral and laminarian zones of the 

 main-land, and such a restriction would be absurd. Prof. Verrill 

 reports Verticordia from off ^lartha's Vineyard and several species 

 occur at various depths, from Vineyard Sound, southerly, along and 

 oft' the coast of the Atlantic States to Florida and the Antillean re- 

 gion ; and not only on the eastern side of North America, but on 

 the Pacific as well, where Dall collected specimens- in the vicinity 

 of, or at, Catalina Island in the Santa Barbara Channel, California. 

 On page 46 occurs the following : " Family Chamidaj ; " on this 

 Mr. Carpenter comments "not represented in the U. S., excepting 

 by fossils." This will be a queer surprise to the large number of 

 collectors who have found the beautiful Chama arcinella Linn., not 

 uncommon, on the beaches of Florida, and not so frequently the less 

 attractive shells of the roughly sculptured C. macrophylla Linn., and 

 the Chama florida of Lamarck {=C.sa7'da Rve.), to say nothing of 

 other alleged species, some of which probably fall to the rear of those 



