﻿SPANIONEMA. 185 



classed it. From that genus, however, it is distinguished by the possession of a 

 minute umbilicus, and by the greater separation of the whorls, which might 

 suggest some relationship to Scalaria, and especially to its recent sub-genus 

 Crossed, Adams j 1 from which, however, it is widely separated by the shape of its 

 mouth and other important particulars. 



As will be seen, the shape of the front part of the mouth cannot be satis- 

 factorily ascertained, and until this is known the true position of the genus 

 cannot be positively decided. 



1. Spanionema soalaboides, Whidbome, sp. PI. XVII, figs. 16, 16 a, 17. 



1889. Loxonema scalaeoides, Whidbome. Geol. Mag., dec. 3, vol. vi, p. 30. 



Description. — Shell very elongate, many-whorled, turriculated, of moderate 

 size. Suture deep. Spire slightly fusiform at the summit. Whorls eight or 

 more, moderately and evenly convex, narrow, the diameter of a whorl being 

 nearly twice its height. Surface smooth, with occasional, very large, straight, 

 discontinuous varices, sloping obliquely backwards at a high angle from the 

 suture, and bluntly wedge-shaped in section. Mouth somewhat expanded, 

 with the suture-line somewhat deflected upwards at its upper corner, and the 

 lips extended below. Inner lip straight, longitudinally grooved. Umbilicus very 

 small and deep. Outer lip unseen. 



Size. — A specimen retaining the four lower whorls is 22 mm. high, and 

 15 mm. in diameter. 



Locality. — Wolborough. There are two specimens in Mr. Vicary's Collection, 

 and two others in the Torquay Museum (the best of which is in the Battersby 

 Collection). A fragment in the Museum of Practical Geology possibly belongs to 

 the same species. 



Remarks. — The present is a very remarkable and distinctive species, and no 

 other shell that accompanies it is at all similar. The mouth is too obscured in 

 the only specimen that preserves it to enable us to decide its actual shape. As 

 shown by that specimen, it appears to have an anterior channel or siphonal canal, 

 but this appearance is doubtless deceptive, and is caused by the fracture of the 

 outer lip. The varices seem to be much fewer than are the whorls, and occur at 

 irregular intervals. 



Affinities. — This species somewhat resembles Loxonema ranellseforme, F. A. 

 Romer, 2 but it has more convex and much shorter whorls, and has no longitudinal 



1 1882, Tryon, 'Structural and Systematic Conch.,' vol. ii, p. 221, pi. lxvii, fig. 47. 



2 1850, F. A. Eomer, ' Beitr.,' pt. 1, p. 35, pi. v, fig. 14. 



