Under the name of Rissoa jan-mayeni Friele (3, p. 224, 
fig. 4, a, b) describes a small gastropod taken in 1877 during 
the Norwegian North Atlantic Expedition at Jan Mayen, in 
128—357 m. The following year he mentions it from Spitsberg 
and the Barents Sea, in 220—267 m (4, p. 273).° At about the 
same time as Friele’s description of the species, it was des- 
eribed by Leche (13, p. 38, tab. 1, fig. 10) under the name 
of Rissoa sibirica, from the Kara Sea and the western part 
of the Siberian Polar Sea, in 37—165 m. Later researches 
have shown that Alvania jan-mayeni is abundantly distributed 
in the shallower parts of the Norwegian and the Polar Seas, 
the bathymetrical limits as hitherto known being 18 and 430 m. 
Apart from the localities mentioned it has been shown to occur 
at the east coast of Greenland, in the Varanger fiord, at the 
Murman coast and in the White Sea. 
Outside the region of the Norwegian Sea Alvania jan- 
mayeni is mentioned by Posselt (17, p. 226) from the west 
coast of Greenland in 27—458 m. These specimens which are 
distinguished by a considerably stronger sculpture, have, 
however, according to Odhner (15, p. 167) proved not to 
belong to this species but to Alvania cruenta. 
In 1879 Verrill (21, p. 311) describes the species under 
the name of Cingula jan-mayeni, from the St. Lawrence Gulf 
m 366 m. In later papers (22, p. 375, 23, p. 524, tab. 42, 
fig. 8, 24, p. 269 and 25, p. 567, tab. 25, fig. 86) Verrill men- 
tions it also from the coast of New-England, whence it is also 
seporicd by Dall (1, p. 148, tab. 61, fig. 86). Friele, 
however, writes about this North-American form (5, p. 28): 
I have some doubt whether Cingula jan-mayeni Verrill is our 
species. Prof. Verrill has kindly sent me specimens of the 
American shell, but it is distinguishable from ours by a 
