"Cerion (Maynardia) Agassizii n. sp.

Figures 9, 10.

            Shell large, cylindroconic, smooth for the genus, but varying as usual in the number, sharpness, and presence of transverse ribs; with eleven whorls, rather closely appressed, irregularly transversely striated, the upper whorls more finely and evenly, and the last third of the last whorl with stronger, sharp-edged, sparse, elevated ribs; spiral sculpture none; umbilical chink deep, not perforate; aperture ovate, pointed above, with the reflected margin wide, from the more prominent inner edge, which is rounded, bevelled away to the peripheral margin which is sharp, the whole continuous as in Chondropoma; the body with a thick callus upon which the parietal tooth is situated, the tooth on the pillar lip less prominent, somewhat elongated. Lon. of shell, 35 ; diam. above the aperture, 13 ; alt. of peristome axially, 13 mm.

            This shell resembles Strophiops maritima Pfr. most nearly, but differs from it in its longer dental ridges, and in its wide, sharp-edged, and curiously bevelled peristome, The sharp rugæ behind the lip are very constant; those of S. ma­ritima are relatively low and feeble.

            In this connection a few remarks are in place on the nomenclature of this group. It was first separated from Turbo by Bolten, who erected a genus Cerion in 1799, which contained some extraneous forms, like most old genera, but was based on Turbo uva Linné; as is evident from the name, as well as from Bolten's placing these shells first, and using their popular name "Beehive" (Bienenkorb) as the vernacular name of his genus. There is in this case a descriptive phrase, as well as a name and references to other authors; because the genus was divided into two sections by Bolten, one with entire spire, the other (corresponding to Rumina decollata) having it truncate. As there is no doubt whatever as to the pertinency of Bolten's name, I think we must adopt it. In 1850, Albers named his genus Strophia, not designating a type, but putting S. decumana Fér. first, which was soon after named as type by Herr­mannsen in the Supplement to his" Index." The name Strophia is, however, preoccupied in entomology. In the year 1850, Mörch (Yoldi Cat., p. 63) revived Cerion, with uva as first species. In 1889, Maynard,* who was working on this group, announced that it was divisible into four sections, as below, which, however, he refrained from naming.

            The examination of a large number of specimens convinced him of the value of the characters mentioned, and the full credit of the discovery certainly be­longs to him, though, for various reasons, his papers received comparatively little attention.­"