124 TEITONID^. 



W. Coast So. America, northwards to Alaska; Japan, T. scaber, 

 King (xlvi, 59). 



This small group contains shells of comparatively large size, 

 thin, cancellate, white without any bands or spots of color, usually 

 more or less covered by an epidermis ; the operculum has a 

 terminal initial point. The species inhabit a somewhat limited 

 region, the West Coasts of South and North America, one of 

 them recurring on the Japanese coast. The rarity of varices 

 and general appearance of these shells indicate a passage into 

 the Fusidse, whilst they appear to connect more remotely with 

 the argus group of Ranella and with Buccinum. 



The distinctness of the following fossil groups is very dovibtful, 



RANELLiNA, Conrad. The group was never characterized. The 

 type differs from the figure in the varices being partially discon- 

 nected, thus showing more affinity to Triton than .to Ranella. 

 T. Maclurii, Conrad (xlvi, 60). Tertiary; Claiborne, Ala. 



PERSONELLA, Courad. Genus not characterized. Scarcely a 

 Distorsio,but more like a Gutturnium. T. septemdentatus, Gabb 

 (xlvi, 61). Eocene ; Texas. 



TRiTONOPSis, Conrad. The type is a water-worn specimen, 

 which Prof. Angelo Heilprin, who has examined the shell, 

 declares to be too imperfect to assign to it any reliable charac- 

 ters. Has some resemblance to the section Cabestana, like T. 

 doUarium, L. T. subalveatus, Conrsid (xlvi, 62). Eocene; Vicks- 

 burg. 



TRACHYTRiTON, Meek. Its character appears to be confined to 

 the occurrence of internal varices, marking the former positions 

 of the lip, and which have not been absorbed when growth recom- 

 menced ; otherwise very like Priene Oregonensis = cancellatus. 

 The want of a callus on the upper part of the columella, which 

 Meek makes a distinguishing character from Priene, also charac- 

 terizes the P. Oregonensis^ young, as described by Mr. Redfield. 

 T. vinculum, Hall and Meek (xlvi, 63). Cretaceous ; Dakotah. 



DiSTORSio, Bolten. 



Syn. — Persona, Montf 



Distr. — 3 sp. Red Sea, China, Polj^nesia, W. Indies, W. 

 Columbia. D. cancellinus, Roiss}^ (^I'^i? 64). 



Shell subturreted ; whorls distorted ; aperture irregular, con- 

 tracted, ringent; canal recurved; inner lip dilated, lamellar, 

 rugosely plicated ; columella excavated, verrucosely plicate ; 

 outer lip sinuous, internall^^ plicate-dentate. 



This genus, in its ringent aperture, reminds one of the genus 

 Malea in the Doliidae. 



Ranella, Lam. 



Etym. — Eana, a frog. 



