234 MARINE SHELLS 



It resembles the shell represented by Lister, plate 

 976, fis;. 32. " Buccinum B. r. parvum nigrum ex 

 toto laeve." It is usually covered by a blackish pig- 

 ment which obscures its character : within the aper- 

 ture, on many specimens, a dull or obsolete whitish 

 line may be seen. 



The description shows the near approach of this 

 Shell toMontfort's genus Phos, to which it is as close- 

 ly allied as the preceding species. 



4. N. *acuta. Shell conic-acute, whitish, cancel- 

 lated so as to appear granulated, granules prominent, 

 somewhat transverse, inequidistant, the transverse 

 grooves being more profound and dilated than the 

 spiral ones, which are six in number ; spire longer 

 than the body whirl, slender towards the tip, acute : 

 suture impressed, but not profoundly ; beak distin- 

 guished by a depression from the body whirl, and 

 slightly reflected ; labrum incrassated, and with ele- 

 vated lines upon the fauces, which do not attain the 

 edge of the lip. 



Length half an inch. 



Inhabits the shores of the southern states. 



Cabinet of the Academy and Philadelphia Mu- 

 seum. 



A species which not unfrequently occurs, it is 

 very distinct from the two preceding ones, and may 

 be readily distinguished from them by the incrassa- 

 ted outer lip. 



