314 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. VI, October, 1952 
DESCRIPTION: Maximum length, 23 mm.; 
average length, 18-22 mm.; usually 7 whorls; 
numerous fine, spiral furrows, most promi- 
nent on lower portion of body whorl; typi- 
cally, no transverse sculpturing except on last 
few whorls; definitely margined callus on 
inner lip, not spreading over body whorl; 
spiral sculpture usually apparent through 
callus; outer lip thickened by slightly denti- 
culate ridge; columella often separated from 
body whorl by deep, narrow groove; anterior 
canal short, broad, curved. 
Typical N. insculptus possesses no transverse 
sculpture on the body whorl or the penul- 
timate whorl. In my opinion, the form eupleu- 
ra, in which the axial ribs continue onto the 
body whorl, is a variation of no taxonomic 
value. I have seen collections containing spe- 
cimens grading from the typical insculptus, 
with no longitudinal ridges on the body 
whorl, to specimens possessing conspicuous 
transverse ribs on the body whorl. The ribbed 
form cannot be called a subspecies because 
its geographic range coincides with that of 
the typical form. 
RECENT GEOGRAPHIC RANGE: Point Arena, 
California, to Cedros Island, Lower California. 
HABITAT: 10 to 200 fathoms, in mud, sand, 
gravel; rare. 
Nassarius obsoletus (Say) 
PI. II, Fig. 2 
Nassa ohsoleta Say, Acad. Nat, Sci. Phila., 
Jour. 2: 232, 1822. 
Nassa (Jlyanassa) ohsoleta Say, Tryon, Man. 
Conch. I, 4: 60, pi. 18, figs. 237-249, 1882. 
llyanassa ohsoleta Say, Dali, Nautilus 21: 91, 
1907; U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc. 51: 578, 1917. 
Alectrion {llyanassa) ohsoleta Say, Dali, U. S. 
Natl. Mus., Bui. 112: 103, 1921; Oldroyd, 
I. S., Stanford Univ., Pubs., Univ. Ser. 
Geol. Sci. 2(1): 269, pi. 26, fig. 15, 1927. 
Nassarius {llyanassa) ohsoletus Say, Keep, West 
Coast Shells, p. 230, 1935. 
Nassarius ohsoletus. Keen, A. M., West North 
Amer. Mar. Moll., p. 41, 1937. 
TYPE SPECIMEN: Philadelphia Academy of 
Natural Sciences (Oldroyd, 1927). 
TYPE locality: East coast (Oldroyd, 
1927). 
DESCRIPTION: Maximum length, 25 mm.; 
average length, about 20 mm.; shell solid; 
6 or 7 convex whorls; sutures simple, not 
deeply impressed; body whorl longer than 
length of spire; apex blunt, usually broken; 
numerous faint spiral ribs crossed at an angle 
by slightly raised transverse ridges; cancellate 
sculpture sometimes giving granulated ap- 
pearance to shell surface, particularly on upper 
whorls; outer lip plain or slightly thickened 
at edge; aperture often lineated within by 
elevated, interrupted spiral lines; thin white 
or brownish callus on inner lip, spreading 
only slightly onto body whorl; posterior ca- 
nal typically absent, if present a faint groove; 
anterior canal but a slight notch; no groove 
at base of body whorl; shell dark reddish 
brown, blackish, or lighter brown, sometimes 
tinged with olive green or banded with lighter 
color. 
This species is called the "Worn-Out Dog 
Whelk" because of its eroded appearance. 
Rarely are perfect shells found, since the 
spire is usually broken at the apex. This 
species lacks the bifurcated foot typical of 
most Nassariidae. 
RECENT GEOGRAPHIC RANGE: On West 
Coast: Boundry Bay, British Columbia; San 
Francisco, Oakland, Alameda, and Palo Alto, 
California. Introduced from east coast with 
oyster seed. 
HABITAT: Flourishing on oyster beds and 
mud flats. 
Nassarius corpulentus (C. B. Adams) 
PI. I, Fig. 6 
Nassa corpulenta C. B. Adams, N. Y. Lyceum 
Nat. Hist., Ann. 5: 284, 529 [pagination of 
separate: 60, 305], 1852; Stearns, U. S. 
Natl. Mus., Proc. 17: 181, 1894; Pilsbry 
and Lowe, Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., Proc. 
84: 115, 1932. 
