500 
A. E. Verrill — Catalogue of Marine Mollusca. 
tricosus (Gould) ; and S. pygmozus (Gould). The first of these is 
abundant, at moderate depths, from off Long Island to Nova Scotia. 
It varies much in proportion of length to breadth, and in sculpture, 
sometimes being nearly smooth, at other times deeply and regularly 
spirally grooved.* * 8. ventricosus was known to Gould only from the 
Grand Bank, and I have seen several specimens recently brought 
from there by the Gloucester fishermen. Stimpson (Shells of New 
England) records it as from George’s Bank and near Nantucket 
could have been sure as to which of our three known species he had in mind. The 
passage referred to, which occurs in course of remarks on the distribution of F. graci- 
lis, is as follows : “ I do not consider the Crag specimens which have been referred to 
this species by Searles Wood, Woodward, and Nyst identical with the above \F. graci- 
lis]. The last agree with the North- American form, which is smaller, more tumid, and 
has a short spire. If such prove to be distinct, it might be called curtus." Neither 
the name nor the characters given apply well to the ordinary form of S. Stimpsonii , 
which often grows to a larger size than Jeffreys gives for S. gracilis , and has a long, 
acute spire, though there is, as usual in the genus, a shorter and stouter variety. Ilis 
description and name would apply better to another American form, the Fvsus ventri- 
cosus of Gould. 
For these reasons I consider it both desirable and necessary to adopt the name given 
by Morch, about which there can be no doubt. Subsequently, this species was named 
F. Americanus by Bell. 
As to the smaller size of the American shell, I think Mr. Jeffreys was mistaken. I 
give here a few measurements, to illustrate both the large size and the variations in 
proportions of S. Stimpsonii: 
One male, out of a lot of very large specimens, from off Cape Cod. 45 fathoms, 
measures in length, 4'8 inches, or 121 mm ; breadth, 2d inches, or 53"'"’; length of 
body-whorl, 88 n,m ; its breadth, 43 mm ; length of aperture, 7L mm ; its breadth, 27 ,nni ; 
length of operculum, 33 nim ; its bieadth, 20 mm . A large female, from the same region, 
is 115 mm long; 49 mm broad; length of aperture, 52 mm ; its breadth, 25 mm . 
An elongated specimen, of the variety liratulus. from off Martha’s Vineyard, 183 
fathoms, is 82 mm long; breadth. 3I mm ; length of body-whorl, 56 ,,,m ; its breadth, 
27 ,nm ; length of aperture, 42 mm ; its breadth, 14 mm . 
A short, stout, lightly grooved specimen (var. brevis V.), from off Chatham, Cape Cod, 
(st. 978), 17 fathoms, is 55 mm long; breadth, 28 mm ; length of body-whorl, 43 mm ; 
length of aperture. 35 mm ; its breadth, 14 mm . 
* To the strongly grooved, deep-water variety, I gave the name, Neptunea arata (Proc. 
Nat. Mus., 1880, p. 370), thinking, at that time, that it could be distinguished specifi- 
cally. A much larger series, obtained in 1881, in the same region, convinced me that 
it is only an extreme variety, which is connected by intermediate states with the 
faintly grooved or nearly smooth, shallow-water forms. I have collected the latter, 
in abundance, even at low-water, in the Bay of Fundy. The name, Neptunea. arata , 
having previously been used by Gould, I propose to designate this variety as Sipho 
Stimpsonii , var. liratulus. If it be thought desirable to designate the shorter and 
stouter form of this species by a special varietal name, it may be called S. Stimpsonii , 
var. brevis V. All the intermediate forms occur, however. 
