65 
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF SEPARATISTA 
. FROM NEW ZEALAND. | 
By HENRY SUTER. 
—Lifofei ole (= Separatista) benhami, ». sp. 
i! ' 
» SHELL small, fragile, subdiscoidal, with a very short spire and broadly- 
expanded aperture, cancellated, and with deep umbilicus. Colour 
yellowish-white, semi-transparent, flinty. Pullus consisting of 1% 
whorls, which are smooth and glossy. Spire very low, conoidal. 
Whorls 3, rapidly increasing, body-whorl with a flat shoulder and 
distinct angle, the larger lower portion strongly 
convex. Suture first impressed, then, on reaching 
the aperture, channelled. Spiral ornamentation, 
consisting of numerous distinct threads, about 12 on 
the body-whorl, but bifurcating and thus increas- 
ing in number on reaching the lip; in the shallow grooves between the 
riblets there is a fine median thread, recognisable only under the 
lens. Axial ornamentation represented by numerous, broad, rounded 
sinuated costae, which become more pronounced and more distant 
towards the aperture; points of intersection granulate. Fine equidistant 
and numerous incremental lines cross the spiral threads. Aperture 
widely expanded, oval, straight above, subangulated at the base. 
Outer lip patulous throughout, sharp, sinuated below the angle. 
Inner lip subvertical, slightly concave in the whole length, broadly 
reflected, continuous with the outer lip and very slightly detatched 
from the penultimate whorl. Umbilicus not broad, but deep and 
carinated by the lowest spiral riblet. Operculum ? 
Height 6. 5; breadth 7 millim. Aperture: height 6 ; breadth 6 
millim., 
Hab.—Cape Maria van Diemen, New Zealand. 
Type in the Otago University Museum, Dunedin, New Zealand. 
This interesting little shell was found by Mr. Rayner, formerly 
lighthouse keeper at Cape Maria, and sent to Prof. Benham, the 
curator of the Dunedin Museum, who kindly handed the specimen 
over to me for description. I have very great pleasure in associating 
the name of our distinguished scientist with the species. 
* 



Journ. oF MALAC., 1902, vol. ix, No. 2. 
