BELA SOALARIS. 279 



numerous fine and Avavy spiral ridges, closely crowded together, the upper one 

 forming a distinct and prominent margin to the Avhorls ; spire scalariform, elon- 

 gated, longer in proportion to the breadth of the shell than in B. iwJnlis ; suture 

 well marked, rather oblique ; mouth oval, nearly as long as the spire ; outer lip 

 thin, regularly curved, angulated by the keel, ending in a short and open canal. 



Dimensions. — L. 15 — 25 mm. B. 8 — 10 mm. 



Distrihidion. — Recent : Bergen (Norman), Finmark, Lapland, Lofoten Islands, 

 Kola, Kara Sea, Nova Zembla, Siberian coast, Spitzbergen, Iceland, Greenland, 

 North-eastern America to Cape Cod. 



Fossil : Waltonian Crag : Little Oakley. Newbournian : Sutton, 

 Waldringfield. Butleyan : Butley. Icenian : Bramerton ; probably at other Crag- 

 localities. Isle of Man. 



Pleistocene : Bridlington, March gravels (F. W. H.), King Edward (A. Bell). 

 Murman coast. 



Remarks. — This is one of the most characteristic of the Arctic Belas, having a 

 wide circumpolar range, bat not being reported to the south of Bergen. As just 

 stated, it is considered by some authorities a variety of the British B. turricnla, 

 from which it differs materially in form and ornamentation, but by Posselt as 

 specifically allied to P. nobilis, another Arctic and non-British shell Avhich it 

 approaches more nearly. 



It is distinguished from the latter by its somewhat finer and less prominent 

 sculpture, its comparatively elongate spire, its more oblique suture, and the more 

 sloping character of the shelf below it. 



The specimen described by Gould (Rep. Inv. Mass., ed. 1, p. 292, fig. 193, and 

 ed. 2, p. 351, fig. 620) as Fnsus tiirvicula is possibly the present form; it does not 

 appear to be the British species known under the latter specific name. 



Prof. G. 0. Sars' typical figure of B. scalaris is 26 mm. in length, with an 

 elongate spire and fine, closely-set spiral sculpture, represented in the Crag by 

 PL XXXI, fig. 1, of the present Memoir. On the other hand. Prof. Leche gives a 

 smaller variety (B), 9 mm. long, which he says corresponds with that originally 

 described by Moller. I have figured a similar Recent one (fig. 3), together with 

 one from Oakley with which it agrees (fig. 4). The smallest sjjecimen (fig. 5), 

 from the same locality, may be B. rngulata. 



The P. rolmsta of Wood (1st Suppl., pt. i, pi. iii, fig. 16) may perhaps be a variety 

 of B. scalaris. I had a specimen very similar to that figured by him (one of those 

 lost in the post, see p. 282) which Dr. Odhner had identified with the present 

 species. 



Mr. Friele states [op. cit.) that B. scalaris was dredged by the Norwegian 

 Expedition at various localities from a depth of from 123 to 223 fathoms. It 

 seems to be one of the most common of the Belas found in the Crag-. 



Most of the fossil specimens of Bela here represented have been identified by 



