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American Seashells

the last whorl. Outer lip turned in as the varix is formed. Color brighter. Posterior canal longer. Common in the West Indies; intertidal. Cantharus cancellarins Conrad Cancellate Cantharus West coast of Florida to Texas and Yucatan. Similar to C. tinctiis, but with a lighter shell, higher spire, and with sharp, spiral threads and narrow, axial ribs which cross to make a beaded and can- cellate sculpturing. Posterior siphonal canal absent or weak. Varix very weak. Moderately common in shallow water. Genus Macron H. and A. Adams 1853 Macroji lividus A. Adams Livid Macron Plate 24X Monterey, California, to Lower California. % to I inch in length, half as wide, strong, with 5 whorls which are covered with a thick, felt-like, dark-brown periostracum. Shell yellowish to bluish white. Outer lip sharp, strong, and near its base bearing a small, spiral thread. Columella strongly concave and white. Upper end of aperture narrow, with a small, short channel and with a white, tooth-like callus on the parietal wall. Siphonal canal short and slightly twisted. Base of shell with a half dozen incised spiral lines. Operculum chitinous, brown, thick, oval and with the nucleus at one end. Very common under stones at low tide. Family MELONGENIDAE Genus Melongena Schumacher 18 17 {Gale odes) Melongena corona Gmelin Common Crown Conch Figure 52 Florida, the Gulf States and A4exico. 2 to 4 inches in length, very variable in size, color, shape and production of spines. Dirty-cream with wide, spiral bands of brown, purplish brown or dark bluish black. Pure white "albinos" are infrequent. Shoulder and base of shell with i, 2, 3 or 4 rows of semi-tubular spines which may point upward or horizontally. Numerous varieties have been named which do not even warrant subspecific standing: minor Sowerby (dwarf); estepho- menos Melville (dwarf and narrow); altispira Pilsbry and Vanatta (long and narrow); bispinosa Philippi (2 rows of spines); insp'mata Richards spineless shoulder); and jnartiniana Philippi. A very common species in Florida. Used extensively in the shellcraft industry.