"Cerion ceiba new species

(Fig. 1-3)

Description. - Shell cylindrical, ribbed, heavy and strong. Umbilical chink small and partially covered by the reflected lip. Color a light brownish-gray with mottlings of small, irregular, white blotches that are somewhat in spiral pattern. Whorls 9 to 10, the nuclear whorls (1½) grayish-brown, the first smooth the last one-half minutely ribbed. The remaining whorls finely ribbed and gradually becoming much stronger on the body whorl. Spire produced, the first 6 to 7 whorls forming an acute apex produced at an angle of about 55 degrees. Aperture subcircular to subquadrate with a rather broadly reflected and white lip. Parietal tooth central and rather short. Columellar lamella developed midway on the columella and extending within for a full whorl. Sculpture consisting of numerous axial ribs numbering 17 to 24 on the body whorl. They are slightly and somewhat irregularly arcuate. In cross section the steepest slope is on the inner margin of the rib, the outer apertural side sloping more gently to the base of the next rib. There is no evidence of spiral sculpture.

Length            Width        Aperture

23.5                11.2           6 x 4.2 mm    Holotype  

22.2                 9.2           6 x 4.1   "       Paratype

25.2               10.2          6.1 x 4.2  "          "

23.5               12.            6.3 x 4.8  "          "

23.                 10.5          6.2 x 4.2  "          "  

     Holotype. - Museum of Comparative Zoölogy, no. 157307, north side of Boca del Rio Jibacoa, Santa Cruz del Norte, Havana Prov­ince, Cuba. R. Guitart collector, August, 1940. Paratypes in the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy, the collection of R. Guitart and the Museo Poey.

     Remarks. - A form, much larger in size, occurs on the south side of the Jibacoa river, its characters, other than its larger size, being the same as those of C. ceiba. Specimens measured 30.5 X 15.5 mm. to 33 X 15 mm.

            This new species is a member of the Cerion chrysalis complex, differing mainly by having the costae a little more closely-set and in having far fewer color patches of dull brown." (Clench, 1948:49-50)