78 
whirl by any profound depression, and not prominent; labrum 
within lineated with elevated, abbreviated or inteiTupted lines, not 
incrassated, purple-black ; columella at base with a prominence or 
fold. 
Length three-fifths of an inch. Inhabits the coast of the United 
States. Cabinet of the Academy and Philadelphia Museum. 
Animal . — Foot as long as] the shell, rounded before, with the 
anterior angles elongated, conic, reflected and resembling short 
tentacula ; head not extended beyond the shell ; eyes above the 
base of the tentacula, placed on the exterior side and black ; tenta- 
cula setaceous, abruptly smaller above”^ the eyes ; trunk cylindrical, 
the suture beneath exserted over the head, half as long as the 
shell and very conspicuous. 
Inhabits the shores of our estuaries in great numbers. When 
left by the recess of the tide, they collect together in small pools, 
or crawl in pursuit of the retiring water ; but when left quite dry, 
they burrow in the sand so as to conceal themselves from the action 
of the sun, and patiently await the returning tide. They assemble 
about dead crabs and other animals, and appear to feed upon them. 
This shell is more frequented by Pagurus longicai'pus than any 
other ; it bears a general resemblance to the preceding species, but 
is sufiiciently distinguished by being less elongated, the suture and 
impressed lines not being so profound and the beak less prominent 
and distinct ; the color is also very difi'erent. 
It resembles the shell represented by Lister, plate 276, fig. 32. 
Buccinum B. r. parvum nigrum ex toto laeve.’^ It is usually 
covered by a blackish pigment which obscures its character : 
within the aperture, on many specimens, a dull or obsolete whitish 
line may be seen. 
The description shows the near approach of this shell to Mont- 
fort’s genus Plios, to which it is as closely allied as the preceding 
species. 
Nassa acuta.- — Shell conic acute, whitish, cancellated so as to 
appear granulated, granules prominent, somewhat transverse, ine- 
quidistant, 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 distinguished by a depression from the 
