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OVULIDAE 183
Neosimnia avena Sowerby Western Chubby Simnia
Monterey, California, to Panama.
Plate 7g
/4 inch in length, oblong, with short extremities. Lower end of the
aperture wide, upper end narrow where the columella has a spiral swelling.
Inner and lower part of the columella with a long, light-colored ridge. Exte-
rior of whorls with numerous, microscopic, wavy, incised scratches. Color
mauve to deep-rose with the varix and extremities a lighter pink. Rare in
California, uncommon southward. 5. smilis Sowerby is probably this species.
Neosimnia loebbeckeana Weinkauff Loebbeck's Simnia
Monterey, California, to the Gulf of California.
Plate yi
% inch in length, translucent yellowish, rather fragile, and fusiform in
shape with the extremities narrow and the middle gently swollen. Columella
rounded, usually smoothish, but sometimes with a hint of flattening and sub-
sequent thickening of the lower part of the columella. Upper end of the
columella with a weak, spiral fold. Two subspecies have been described
{barbarefisis Dall and catalinensis Berry) but their distinctiveness has not
been clearly demonstrated as yet. Not uncommonly dredged in association
with seafans from 20 to 50 fathoms.
NeosiTtmia inflexa Sowerby Inflexed Simnia
Monterey, California, to Panama.
Plate 7h
% inch in length, a very vivid and dark lavender-rose or reddish purple.
Shell elongate; columella flattened, bordered within and also somewhat on
the body whorl by a long, axial, lighter-colored ridge. N. variabilis Carpenter
is this species, and detailed studies of the animals may also show that N.
aequalis Sowerby is a synonym.
Genus Cyphoma Roding 1798
Cyphoma gibbosum Linne Flamingo Tongue
North Carolina to southeast Florida and the West Indies.
Plates 8; 4r
% to I inch in length, glossy-smooth, chubby, and colored a rich creamorange
to apricot-buff except for a small whitish rectangle on the back.
Callus on sides of shell indistinct and extending high up on the back with
poorly defined edges. Mantle of animal pale-flesh with numerous squarish,
black rings. Fairly common on gorgonians below low water.