Bulletin - United States National Museum - Smithsonian Institution

SOUTH AFRICAN MARINE MOLLUSKS. 101
ture; inner lip appressed to and reflected over the short base; parietal
wall covered by a thin callus.
Cat. No. 227719, U.S.N.M. (Coll. No. 814), contains three specimens
from Port Alfred. Two of these are cotypes; one, a young
individual of 1 1 postnuclear whorls, has served for our description of
the nucleus and the early postnuclear whorls. This measures:
Length, 7 mm.; diameter, 2.2 mm. The other, an adult individual
having lost the nucleus and probably the first four postnuclear turns,
retaining the last 13 whorls, measures: Length, 13 mm.; diameter,
3 mm. Cat. No. 227720, U.S.N.M. (Coll. No. 815) two specimens
from the same locality.
TRIPHORIS ELSA, new species.
Plate 11, fig. 1.
Shell elongate-conic, bluish white. Nuclear whorls decollated,
the last turn only remaining, which is smooth. Postnuclear whorls
moderately rounded, marked by three spiral cords, of which the
first is a little anterior to the summit, while the third is as far above
the suture as it is separated from the median. The median occupies a
position half way between the other two. In addition to these
spiral cords, the whorls are marked by slightly protractive, moder-
ately strong, rounded axial ribs, of which 18 occur upon all but the
last two whorls, which have 20. The junction of the axial ribs and
the spiral cords form rounded nodules, which have the long axis
parallel to the spiral sculpture. These nodules are well rounded on
the posterior cord, while on the median cord they are truncated
anteriorly and posteriorly, a little more abruptly anteriorly than
posteriorly. On the third cord they are truncated posteriorly and
sloped gently anteriorly. The spaces inclosed between the cords
form shallow, rectangular pits. The summit of the whorls falls a
little anterior to the peripheral cord and allows this to be apparent
in all the sutures. Periphery of the last whorl marked by a strong
cord, which is separated from the first supra-peripheral cord by a
sulcus as wide as that which separates those from the median cord.
This sulcus, like the other, is crossed by continuations of the axial
ribs, which terminate at the posterior edge of the peripheral cord.
Base concave, marked by a slender, spiral cord immediately adja-
cent to the peripheral cord. In addition to the above sculpture the
entire surface of the shell is marked by fine lines of growth and
microscopic spiral striations. Aperture channeled anteriorly; outer
lip thin, showing the external sculpture within and rendered sinuous
by the external sculpture at the edge; columella stout, curved,
covered by a thin callus, which extends over the parietal wall.
Cat. No. 249678, U.S.N.M., contains two adolescent shells of this
species, one of which is the type. They are from Port Alfred (Coll.
80737°—Bull. 91—15 8