NEW MELANIDiE OF THE UNITED STATES- 22] 



the outer end forming a half circle from the base, the starting or inner end. Thus 

 quite half the length extends outside of the outer lip, the inner half stretching across 

 the aperture of the shell. Dr. Showalter did not observe whether there was any dif- 

 ference in the soft parts of this species from other Goniobases, but proposes to examine 

 living specimens. He remarks in his letters that " the operculum is very striking 

 and not observed in any other species, the mouth being remarkably uniform in its 

 shape, as indeed it is in its general form and aspect." " Some of the Coosa Anculosce," 

 he says, " have this peculiar form of operculum," but I have never seen any opercu- 

 lum of the Melanice take this long tongue-shaped form but in this species.* Having 

 asked Dr. S. if he had observed whether the opercula of young individuals were 

 spiral, he very kindly sent me one about one-third grown. This was in no way dif- 

 ferent from the adults except in size, being rather more than one-third of an inch 

 long. He says that he " finds the young specimens of this species have the same 

 peculiarity in the operculum." Should there be found to exist any difference in the 

 anatomical structure of this mollusk, when the soft parts shall be examined, then it 

 must be eliminated from the Goniobases. In which case I propose the name of Macro- 

 Umeni for it. Among nearly a dozen specimens which I have examined, none have 

 a perfect apex. The length of the shell, therefore, cannot be stated, nor the exact 

 number of whorls, or the character of the very young. The length of the aperture 

 is probably nearly half the length of the shell. All the specimens I have examined 

 are handsomely adorned with four bands, more or less distinct inside and out. It is 

 nearly allied to suavi-s (nobis) and bellula (nobis), and reminds one of Leivisii (nobis.) 



GONIOBASIS BULLULA. PI. 34, fig. 5. 



Testa laevi, subf'usifomii, subinflata, subtenui, viridi-lutea, quadrivittata ; spira elevata ; suturis 

 inrpressis ; anfractibus instar quinis, inflatis, ultimo subgrandi ; apertura subgrandi, late ovata, 

 intus albida et vittata ; labro acuto ; columella albida, superne incrassata., sinuata, inferno 

 subangulata. 



Shell smooth, conical, inflated, rather thin, greenish yellow, four-banded ; spire 

 raised ; sutures impressed ; whorls about five, inflated, the last rather large ; 

 aperture rather large, widely ovate, whitish and banded within ; outer lip acute ; 

 columella whitish, thickened above, sinuous, subangular below. 



Operculum elliptical, spiral, dark brown, with the polar point near the base. 

 Melanin bullula, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., 1861, p. 121. 



Hab. — Yellowleaf Creek, Shelby County, Alabama, E. R. Showalter, M. D. 



My cabinet and cabinet of Dr. Showalter. 

 Diam. -40, Length - 90 inch. 



* I have several specimens of A. rubiginosa (nobis) which have an elongated operculum, but 1 have never 



observed it in any other species of Anodosa. 



t f*MfK, longus ; xijum, portus, 



57 



