65 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF SEPARATISTA 

 FROM NEW ZEALAND. 



By HEXRY SUTER. 



Separatista benhami. n. sp. 



Shell small, fragile, subdiscoidal, with a very short spire and broadly- 

 expanded aperture, cancellated, and with deep umbilicus. Colour 

 yellowish-white, semi-transparent, flinty. Pullus consisting of ly^ 

 whorls, which are smooth and glossy. Spire very low, conoidal. 

 \Vhorls 3, rapidly increasing, body-whorl with a flat shoulder and 

 distinct angle, the larger lower portion strongly 

 convex. Suture first impressed, then, on reaching 

 "i ^ I' ' aperture, channelled. Spiral ornamentation, 



consisting of numerous distinct threads, about 12 on 

 the body-whorl, but bifurcating and thus increas- 

 ing in number on reaching the lip : in the shallow grooves between the 

 riblets there is a fine median thread, recognisable only under the 

 lens. Axial ornamentation represented by numerous, broad, rounded 

 sinuated costae, which become more pronounced and more distant 

 towards the aperture ; points of intersection granulate. Fine equidistant 

 and numerous incremental lines cross the spiral threads. Aperture 

 widely expanded, oval, straight above, subangulated at the base. 

 Outer lip patulous throughout, sharp, sinuated below the angle. 

 Inner lip subvertical, slightly concave in the whole length, broadly 

 reflected, continuous with the outer lip and very slightly detatched 

 from the penultimate whorl. Umbilicus not broad, but deep and 

 carinated by the lowest spiral riblet. Operculum ? 



Height 6. 5 ; breadth 7 millim. Aperture : height 6 ; breadth 6 

 millim. 



Hah. — Cape Maria van Diemen, New Zealand 



Tijiie in the Otago Universit}' Museum, Dunedin, New Zealand. 



This interesting little shell was found by Mr. Rayner, formerly 

 lighthouse keeper at Cape Maria, and sent to Prof. Benham, the 

 curator of the Dunedin Museum, who kindly handed the .spQcimen 

 over to me for description. I have very great pleasure in associating 

 the name of our distinguished scientist with the species. 



