Some Western American 

Cenozoic Gastropods 

of the Genus Nassarius 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 503-B 

Some Western American 

Cenozoic Gastropods 

of the Genus Nassarius 

By W. 0. ADDICOTT 

CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 503-B 

Pacific coast nassariids, usiful in biostratigraphic 

correlation of upper Cenozoic formations, are 

reviewed and classified subgenerically. One new 

subgenus is described, and one is newly named 

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1965 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Thomas B. Nolan, Director 

The U.S. -Geological Survey Library has cataloged this publication as follows: 

Addicott, Warren 0., 1930-

Some western American Cenozoic gastropods of the genus 

Na.s-8arius, by W. 0. Addicott. Washington, U.S. Govt. 

Print. Off., 1965. 

24 p. plates. 30 em. ( U.'S. Geological Survey. Professional 

paper 503-B) 

Contributions to paleontology. 

Bibliography : p. 19-21. 

1. Gastropoda, Fossil. 2. Paleontology-Cenozoic. 3. Paleontology-The West. I. Title. (Series) 

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office 

Washington, D.C., 20402 - Price 35 cents 
CONTENTS 

Page Page 

Abstract __________________________________________ _ B1 Systematic paleontology-Continued 

Introduction ______________________________________ _ 1 Subgenus Catilon Addicott, n. subgen _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ B 11 

Acknowledgments __________________________________ _ 2 Key to some western American Tertiary species 

Systematic paleontology ____________________________ _ 2 of Catilon________________________________ 11 

Genus Nassarius DumeriL ______________________ _ 3 N assarius ( Catilon) churchi (Hertlein) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12 

Key to some fossil western American subgenera N assarius ( Catilon) arnoldi (Anderson) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12 

of N assarius ____________________________ _ 3 Nassarius (Catilon) smooti Addicott, n. sp______ 13 

Subgenus Demondia Addicott, n. name ___________ _ 3 N assarius (Catilon?) antiselli (Anderson and 

Key to some western American species of Martin) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 13 

Demondia _______________________________ _ 3 N assarius (Catilon) pabloensis (Clark)_________ 13 

Nassarius (Demondia) californianus (Conrad) __ _ 3 N assarius ( Catilon) stocki Kanakoff _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 14 

N assarius (Demondia) lincolnensis (Anderson Nassarius (Catilon) andersoni (Weaver)________ 14 

and Martin) ____________________________ _ 5 N assarius ( Catilon) hamlini (Arnold)__________ 15 

Subgenus Caesia H. and A. Adams _______________ _ 5 Nassarius (Catilon?) salinasensis Addicott, n. sp_ 15 

Key to some western American species of Caesia_ 5 N assarius ( Catilon) hildegardae Kanak off_______ 16 

Nassarius (Caesia) grammatus (Dall) _________ _ 6 Nassarius (Catilon) iniquus (Stewart)_________ 16 

Nassarius (Caesia) moranianus (Martin) ______ _ 8 Subgenus?_____________________________________ 16 

N assarius ( Caesia) coalingensis (Arnold) ______ _ 9 N assarius ocoyanus (Anderson and Martin)____ 16 

N assarius ( Caesia) whitneyi (Trask) __________ _ 9 Locality descriptions________________________________ 17 

N assarius ( Caesia) delosi (Woodring) _________ _ 10 References_________________________________________ 19 

N assarius ( Caesia) rhinetes Berry ____________ _ 10 Index_____________________________________________ 23 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

[Plates follow index] 

PLATE 1. Late Cenozoic species of Demondia and Caesia. 

2. Late Cenozoic species of Caesia. 

3. Late Cenozoic species of Catilon, Caesia, and subgenus?. 

Page 

FIGURE 1. Stratigraphic occurrence and possible evolution of species of Caesia___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ B7 

III 

CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY 

SOME WESTERN AMERICAN CENOZOIC GASTROPODS OF THE GENUS NASSAR/US 

By w. 0. AnDICOTI' 

ABSTRACT 

The gastropod genus N assarius, characteristic .of late Cenozoic molluscan faunas of the Pacific Coast ~states, is among the 

most useful molluscan taxa for stratigraphic correlation of marine Tertiary ·and Quaternary formations of western North 

America. It first appeared in California during the early 

Miocene and by middle Miocene time had diversified into at 

least three supraspecific groups, defined on apertural morphology. These groups, which have continued into Recent time as 

the principal nassariid subgenera in the northeastern Pacific 

Ocean, are: Demondia, new name for Schizopyga Conrad, 1856 

(not Gravenhorst, 1829) (type: Schizopyga californiana Conrad); Oaesia (type: Nassa perpinguis Hinds); and Oatilon, 

new subgenus (type: Nassa arnoldi Anderson). 

Demondia, the smallest of the three subgenera, is first 

represented in strata of middle Miocene age by Nassarius Uncolnensis from the Astoria Formation of coastal Oregon and 

Washington. Other taxa referable to this subgenus are: calitornianus, mendicus, mendicus forma cooperi, and mendicus 

forma indisputabilis. 

Taxa included in the subgenus Oaesia are: whitneyi, grammatns, grammatu,s n. subsp. ?, coalingensis, perpinguis, moranianus, delosi, tossatus, cerritensis, and rhinetes. An evolutionary sequence useful in stratigraphic correlation in California is formed by the species whitneyi, grammatus, and 

moranianus. Nassarius whUneyi ranges from middle to late 

~Iiocene. N. gramm.atus (Dall, 1917), a poorly known species 

long treated as a synonym of N. moranianus (Martin, 1914), is 

characteristic of Pliocene formations. It can be distinguished 

from the descendent late Pliocene to early Pleistocene species, 

X. nwranianus, by its nonangulated, uniformly sculptured body 

whorl. The modern species representing this lineage, N. fossatus, first appears in beds of early Pleistocene age. 

Fossil species included in the subgenus Oatilon are: churchi, 

arnoldi, smooti, antiselli, andersoni, pabloensis, stocki, hamlini, 

salinasensis, iniquus, and hildegardac. The subgenus first appears in beds of early Miocene age in California. It becomes 

locally extinct after the PUocene but is well represented in the 

modern Panamic molluscan province of the tropical eastern 

Pacific Ocean. 

N assarius ocoyanus, a middle Miocene species not referable 

to any of the preceding subgenera, is tentatively placed in a 

fourth, unnamed subgenus. 

INTRODUCTION 

A review of some fossil species of N a88arirtt8 from the 

Pacific coast ·was undertaken as an adjunct to the identification and biostratigraphic classification of Pliocene 

molluscan asse1nblages from central California.. Two 

nassariids that characterize many of these assmnblages, 

N. californianus (Conrad) and N. grammatu8 (Dall), 

appeared to be diagnostic of Pliocene strata. Yet their 

actual stratigraphic ranges were obscured because of 

the identification of the species under other names and 

the use of N. california:nus for a number of Pliocene to 

Recent nassariids belonging to three subgenera. At one 

time N. granwnatu8 was commonly identified as N. californianu8, and N. californianus presumably was identified as the Pleistocene to Recent species N. 1nendicu8. 

A systematic review of these and related species bec.ame requisite to determining their actual stratigraphic 

distribution. As a result, perhaps half of the named 

fossil species of Nas8arius were studied and compared 

with these species. The resulting compilation emphasized the potential usefulness of nassariids in stratigraphic correlation of upper Cenozoic strata and thereby 

prompted expansion of the study to a general review 

of the known fossil western American species. 

In terms of their known stratigraphic distribution 

and an apparent evolutionary sequence within one subgenus, the fossil nassariids can be ranked with the pectinids and turritellas as one of the more useful 

molluscan genera in correlation of upper Cenozoic 

strata of the Pacific coast. The genus first appeared in 

southern California during the early Miocene and by 

1niddle Miocene time had diversified into several species 

of restricted stratigraphic distribution. The stratigraphic utility of many of the nassariids is favored by 

their intricate sculpture, which permits an unusual 

degree of refinement in species recognition. Most 

species also are sufficiently numerous, in at least a few 

collections, to give a reasonably good idea of the amount 

of individual va.riation. 

With but one exception-an unusual species from the 

middle Miocene of California., N a88ar·ius ocoyanus 

(Anderson and Martin) -the known fossil nassariids 

from the Pacific coast can be classified in three taxonomic units. These taxa, defined wholly on apertural 

B1 
B2 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY 

1norphology, are recognized under the following subgeneric names: Denwndia, new name, Ca,esla Adams, 

and Oatilon, new subgenus. 

Stratigraphic allocation of collections in which nassariids occur is based primarily upon the Pacific coast 

provincial n1etazoan chronology of Weaver and others 

( 1944). Use of the epoch names Miocene, Pliocene, 

and Pleistocene, and subdivisions thereof, is made in a 

provincial sense, with explicit reference to the Weaver 

chart as modified by Durham ( 1954, p. 24). Although 

nowhere defined in detail, the early and middle Miocene molluscan stages of this scheme are based, in large 

part, on biostratigraphic data compiled by Loel and 

Corey (1932) and, in particular, on the biozones of certain pectinids and turritellas. The biostratigraphic 

data of Clark (1915), Nomland (1917b), and Weaver 

(1949) form a composite basis for recognition of a generalized upper Miocene stage. Subdivisions of this 

upper Miocene stage have been n1ade upon the basis of 

clypeasteroid eehinoids, ineluding Astrodapsis, but the 

subdivisions cannot be recognized, at least at present, 

on the basis of late Miocene mollusks. The data of 

Nomland (1917a) and of Woodring and others (1940) 

form the primary basis for correlation of deposits of 

Pliocene age in California. Although superpositional 

control for these stages is not nearly as objective as for 

the Pacific coast foraminiferal sequence and although 

the stages have nowhere been formally defined as timestratigraphic units, their intrinsic value in eorrelation 

and classification of shallow marine strata of the Paeific 

coast is manifestedcby their generally successful use over 

the years and by their agreement with the chronologies 

based upon other fossil groups. The standard of reference generally used for the Pleistocene of the Pacific 

coast is the Los Angeles Basin section at San Pedro, 

1nost recently studied by Woodring and others ( 1946). 

Although the relationship of this section to the Pliocene 

section of the San Joaquin Valley is speculative, there 

is sufficient evidence for recognizing provincial molluscan faunas of each epoch (Woodring, 1952). Therequirement of superpositional control could perhaps be 

satisfied by a thorough biostratigraphic study of the 

Pliocene and Pleistocene mollusks of the western 

Ventura basin. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

Parts of this report have been reviewed by A. M. 

Keen and L. G. Hertlein. Their comments and informal discussions of taxonomic problems are greatly 

appreciated. I am indebted to J. H. Peck, Jr., of the 

:Museum of Paleontology, University of California, 

Berkeley, for granting access to the Cenozoic collections 

and making available several specimens for figure illustrations. L. G. Hertlein and A. M. Keen kindly provided access to the collections of the California A cademy of Sciences and Stanford University, respectively. 

"'\V. P. Popenoe, of the University of California, Los 

Angeles, and G. P. Kanakoff, of the Los Angeles County 

Museum, furnished specimens of N as8arius for figure 

illustrations. George Hughes, of the University of 

California, Santa Barbara, loaned specimens from his 

collections from the Santa Barbara Formation. J. A. 

McLean loaned negatives of photographs of some Recent nassariicls, and these negatives have been used in 

the preparation of this paper. All the fossil specimens 

were photographed by Kenji Sakamoto, of the U.S. 

Geological Survey. 

SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY 

With few exceptions the Tertiary and Quaternary 

species of N a8sarius from the Pacific coast of the United 

Sta·tes can be placed in three distinctive supraspecific 

groups on the basis of apertural characteristics. These 

groups ·are treated as subgenera in the following discussion. 

All the exclusively fossil species of N as sari us from 

upper Cenozoic strata of the Pacific coast of the United 

States are treated systematically in the following section. Most of the living western American species that 

also are known from the fossil record are figured and 

discussed briefly. The Recent nassariids of the Pacific coast of North America have been figured and reviewed by Demond ( 1952). Most synonymies herein 

are limited to citations accompanied by figured specimens. 

References to institutions at which type material or 

important collections are housed are abbreviated as 

follows: 

CAS-California Academy of Sciences, S·an Francisco, Calif. 

LACMIP-Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, Calif. 

SDSNH-San Diego Society of Natural History, San Diego, 

Calif. 

SU-Stanford University, Stanford, Calif. 

UCLA-University of California, Los Angeles, Calif. 

UCMP-University of California Museum of Paleontology, 

Berkeley, Calif. 

USGS-U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C. 

USGS M-U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, Calif. ( coll. and 

loc. data). 

USNM-U.S. National Museum, Washington, D.C. 

UW-University of Washington, Seattle, Wash. 

An age designation accompanying ·a locality description or plate explanation refers to the rocks at the specified locality and not necessarily to the formation in its 

entirety. 
SOME WESTERN AMERICAN CENOZOIC GASTROPODS OF THE GENUS NASSARIUS B3 

Class GASTROPODA 

Order NEOGASTROPODA 

Family NASSARIIDAE 

Genus NASSARIUS Dumeril 

Nassarius Dumeril, 1806, Zoologie Analytique, p. 166 [new name 

for N a ssa Lamarack ( 1799), not Bolten ( 1798) ] . 

Type (of N a88a La1narck, by monotypy) .-Buccinu1n 

mutabile Linne. Recent, Mediterranean. 

Key to sorne fossil western American subgenera of Nassarius 

1. Outer lip of aperture thickened externally by a varix____ 2 

Outer lip not varicose________________________________ 3 

2. Body whorl has narrow incised basal fossa ; whorl profile 

rounded ; sculpture cancellate or papillose________ Catilon 

Body whorl has broad, nearly obsolete basal fossa ; 

whorl profile turreted; sculpture obsolete on body 

whorl -------------------------------------- Subgenus? 

3. Apertural callus narrow, parietal border sharply defined. 

Callus has a single posterior tooth and one or two 

anterior denticles ____________________________ Dernondi-a 

Apertural callus spreading outward onto parietal wall, 

parietal border not sharply defined. Callus has many 

irregular spiral plaits ___________________________ Caesia 

Subgenus DEM:ONDIA Addicott, n. name 

Type (of Schizopyga Conrad, 1856, not Gravellhorst, 1829, by monotypy) .-Schizopyga californiana 

Conrad. Pliocene, western Santa Clara County, Calif. 

This taxon is characterized by a rather small, slender 

shell that shows reticulate or papillose sculpture and 

has a subcircular aperture. The inner margin of the 

aperture is bordered by a narrow, well-defined callus. 

There is a prominent parietal tooth near the posterior 

edge of the callus and, on some species, one or two dentides just above the anterior margin. The outer lip is 

thin but generally denticulate and slightly thickened 

within. 

Western American species of Demondia include N as8ariu8 lincolnen8i8 (Anderson and Martin), a middle 

~Eocene species from Oregon (pl. 1, figs. 20-22); californianu8 (Conrad) from the Pliocene of California 

(pl. 1, figs. 1-10, 31); N. mendicU8 (Gould) (pl. 1, 

figs. 14-16) and N. mendicus forma cooperi (F'orbes) 

(pl.1, figs.17-19), living taxa which appear in the late 

Pliocene of Southern California; and N. mendicus 

forma indi8putabili8 (Oldryod) (pl. 1, figs. 11-13), a 

variant of N.nwndicus tha.t ranges from late Pleistocene 

to Recent. 

Key to sorne western American species of Demondia 

1. Body whorl angulated near midpoint, flat or concave 

above, convex below ; axial sculpture of widely spaced 

nodes _______________ N a.ssari.u s mcndic-us forma oooperi 1 

1 Generally treated as variants of N. mendicus but seem to have at 

least local stratigraphic significance. 

753-170 0-65-2 

Body whorl not angulated near midpoint; axial sculpture 

continuous across body whorL______________________ 2 

2. Axial sculpture of coarse folds; spiral sculpture 

subdued--------------------·----------------------- 3 

Axial and spiral ribs about equal in strength___________ 4 

3. Spire slender; body whorl evenly rounded, secondary 

spiral ribs generally present on upper part_ __ N. mendicus 

Spire broad and short ; summit of body whorl subtabulate, tabulation sculptured by row of enlarged 

nodes ___________________________________ N. lincolnensis 

4. Sculpture evenly papillose or closely cancellate, no secondary spirals; spire of medium height__ N. californianus 

Axial sculpture becoming obsolete on final whorls, secondary spirals on body whorl; high spired_ N. tnendicus forma 

indisputabilis 1 

Nassarius (Demondia) californianus (Conrad) 

Plate 1, figures 1-10, 31 

Schizopyga californiana Conrad, 1856, Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia Proc., v. 8, p. 315. 

Conrad, 1857, U.S. 33d Cong., 2d sess., Senate Exec. Doc. 

no. 78, v. 6, pt. 2, no. 2, p. 69, pl. 2, fig. 1. 

Schizopyga californica Conrad. Tryon, 1882, Manual of Conchology,v.4,p.55,pl.3,fig.32. 

N assa-rius californian us (Conrad). Hanna and Hertlein, 1943, 

California Div. Mines Bull. 118, p. 176, text fig. 65, nos. 8, 9. 

Nassa waldorfen8is Arnold, 1007, Smithsonian Misc. CoHn., v. 50, 

p. 434, pl. 54, fig. 17. Figure reprinted in Arnold and 

Anderson, 1907, U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 322, pl. 21, fig. 17. 

"Na-ssa" cf. "N." waldorfensis Arnold. Stewart in Woodring, 

Stewart, and Richards, 1940, U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. 

Paper 195, p. 87, pl. 39, fig. 4. 

"Nassa" waldorfensis Arnold. Woodring and Bramlette, 1950, 

U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 222, p. 75,, pl. 8, fig. 14; 

pl. 10, fig. 9 ; pl. 15, fig. 4 ; pl. 19, figs. 3, 5. 

?Nassarius cf. N. paroinguis (Hinds) [typographical error for 

N. perpinguis (Hinds)]. Touring in Touring, Cummings, 

and Brabb, 1962, California Div. Mines Bull. 181, photo 16, 

fig. 2. 

Shell of medium size, moderately slender and high 

spired. Spire of four whorls, including slightly submerged nucleoconch of about llh whorls. Sculpture 

of first postnuclear whorl eroded; final two whorls of 

spire gently rounded, sculptured by four or five coarse 

spiral cords crossed by slightly retractive axial ribs of 

lesser strength. Intersection of ribs papillose, interspaces pitted. Suture impressed, minutely undulatory. 

Body whorl large, gently rounded; summit subtabulate 

on some specimens; base bordered by a deep fossa. 

Exterior sculptured by nine papillose spiral cords 

and narrmver, channeled interspaces; axial ribs 

are relatively weaker and more widely spaced. Aperture ovate, has seveh internal spiral cords which termina;te as denticles a short distance from the thin outer 

lip. Base truncate, inner lip bordered by conspicuous 

narrow callus that has a spiral plait near the posterior 

edge and a weaker plait near the base of the columella. 

Anterior eanal short, bordered by a strong denticle 
B4 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY 

within the base of the outer lip and by a smooth spiral 

ridge at the base of the columella. Siphonal fasciole 

sculptured by concentric growth ridges and weak radial 

ribs. 

Height 14 mm, width 7.5 mm. 

Neotype (here designated): USNM 648596. 

N eo type looality: USGS Cenozoic loc. M1715. Poorly consolidated sandstone unconformably overlying Miocene siltstone 

in trench on north side of Arastradero Road, 1,200 ft. west of 

Page Mill Road. Palo Alto 71f2-minute quadrangle. Merced(?) 

Formation, late Pliocene. 

The name Nassarius californianus has been applied to 

at least six other late Cenozoic nassariids from California: N. coalingen.rsi.rs (Arnold), N. delosi (Woodring), N. gram1natus (Dall), N. iniq·uus (Stewart), N. 

moranianus (Martin), and N. 1·hinetes Berry. These 

nassariids, however, can be differentiated at the subgeneric level, as well as specifically, from the taxon that 

is here identified as N. californianws (Conrad). In 

western Santa Clara County, Calif., two species of 

N assaritls occur in Pliocene strata probably stratigraphically equivalent to, if not identical with, the type 

locality of Schizopyga californiana Conrad, "1'2 miles 

bac.k from Santa Clara" (Newberry, 1857, p. 67). 

Comparison of these species with Conrad's figure and 

description (1857, p. 69, pl. 2, fig. 1) reproduced herein 

(pl. 1, fig. 3), suggests that the smaller, more slender of 

the two species should be identified as N. californian'us. 

The other species (pl. 2, figs. 15, 16, 26) is identified as 

N. gram/nuJ.tU8 (Dall) . 

The axial ribbing of N a.rssari1.t.8 oalifornianu8 varies in 

strength and spacing, the resultant sculpture ranging 

from fine papillae to coarse knobs that are somewhat 

elongate in a horizontal direction. N. californianU8 can 

be easily distinguished fro-m N. gram1natU8, with which 

it frequently occurs, in all stages of growth. It has a 

more slender spire, relatively smaller body whorl, and 

coarser axial sculpture. It is a smaller species than the 

Pleistocene and Recent. N. perpinguis (Hinds) (pl. 3, 

figs. 29, 32), which it seen1s to resemble most closely 

in sculpture. Further differences from N. perpinguis 

are its coarser sculpture, the presence of 9 rather than 

about 12 spiral ribs on the body whorl, and a narrow 

apertural callus having only two or three plaits. From 

N. mendicus (Gould) (pl. 1, figs. 14-16), which it 

resembles closely in size and apertural characteristics, 

N. californianU8 can be distinguished by its 1nore 

numerous, much finer axial ribs and broader profile. It 

is closer in some respects to the finely sculptured, highspired variant of N. mendicus (pl. 1, figs. 11-13) which 

has been named N. mendicus ind·isputabilis Oldroyd 

(1927, pl. 26, fig. 4).1 Nassarius californianU8 differs 

frmn this taxon by having evenly formed sculpture 

on all whorls as well as fewer primary !Spiral cords. 

Certain of the early identifications of N. 1nend-icU8, and 

possibly N. perpinguis, from Pliocene strata in central 

California (Arnold, 1908; Martin, 1916) almost certainly refer toN. californianus. It is difficult, however, 

to relate some of the early cheek-list occurrences to 

original material. Probably N. californianU8 is the 

lineal antecedent of N. 1nendicus. 

Hanna and Hertlein ( 1943, p. 176, figs. 65-8, 65-~) 

are the only authors to clearly identify Conrad':s species 

with published figures. Their specimens from a well 

core of the Etchegoin Formation near Tipton, Tulare 

County, Calif., are very similar to material from the 

neotype locality near Stanford, Calif., although one 

specimen has 10 spiral c.ords on the body whorl. This 

characteristic was observed in only one of the specimens 

from the neotype loeality. Hanna and Hertlein's specimens are sculptured much likeN. in-iquU8 (Stewart), 

which was found in a core 80 feet higher in the same 

well (Grant -and Gale, 1931, p. 679, pl. 26, figs. 28a, b, 

-as N. arnoldi var. 1ohitneyi (Trask)). Their specimens 

of N. californianus differ, however, from N. ·iniqu'l.(,8 by 

having a larger rib count and by lacking a varicose 

outer lip. 

The sculpture and profile of a small, rather highspired species from the basal part of the Quinault 

Formation, western Washington, N assarius andersoni 

(Weaver) (pl. 3, figs.16-18), approach N. californianU8 

very closely. This Pliocene nassariid can be differentiated from N. californianus by its varicose apertural 

lip and the absence of regularly spaced lirations within 

the outer lip. Although specimens from the Quinault 

Formation do not seem to have been confused with N. 

call:fornianU8, they have been identified as N. mendicU8 

(Gould) by Arnold and H·annibal (1913, p. 594) and 

as N. arnoldi (Anderson) by Weaver (1916, p. 216). 

Na.s8arhts waldorfensis (Arnold, 1907a, p. 434, pl. 54, 

fig. 17) frmn the Pliocene of Santa Maria Basin is a 

synonym of N. californianus. The most southerly recorded occurrence of this species is in the eastern V entura basin (Woodring and Bramlette, 1950, p. 105), 

although Arnold (1907, p. 434) states that this species 

is "found abundantly in the Pliocene throughout southern California." 

Incomplete external molds of a very small nassariid 

characterized by eight finely noded spiral ribs and a 

simple outer apertural lip occur at a few localities in 

1 This figured, but otherwise undescribed, taxon is characterized by 

progressively finer axial sculpture on the final whorls that is subordinate 

to the spiral sculpture on the body whorl. The spiral sculpture consists of about 11 primary cords and random secondaries. The variant 

is as distinct sculpturally from N. mendicus as is N. mendicus forma 

cooperi (Forbes) and should be considered a complementary end member. 
HOME 'VESTERN AMERICAN CENOZOIC GASTROPODS OF THE GENUS NASSAR/US B5 

the lower Pliocene Pancho Rico Formation of the southern Salinas Valley, Ca1ifornia (USGS Cenozoic loe. 

MD82, M996, and M1455) . These specimens are tentatively identified as Nas8ari-zt8 aff. N. califor-nian'ttS. 

As far as is knmvn N assarhts californianus is restricted to beds of Pliocene age in the standard Pacific 

coast mega-in vertebrate chronology ( "\V eaver and others, 1944). Glen's N. cf. N. califolYiiamts (1959, p. 157) 

from a locality in the upper part of the Merced Formation, considered by most investigators to be of early 

Pleistocene age, is probably a coarsely sculptured, 

immature specimen of N. 11wranianus (Martin). 

The Nassarlu8 californianu8 of Dickerson (1922, p. 

550) and "\Vea.ver (1949, p. 95) from the Merced Formation on vVilson Ranch near Forestville, Sonoma 

County, Calif., is presumed to be correctly identified. 

This species (pl. 1, fig. 1) and N. grammatus ( identified as N. moran ian us) are the only N assarhts in collections from vVilson Ranch at the University of California and Stanford University. 

Range: Pliocene. 

Occurrence: Merced Formation: Sonoma County to northern 

San Mateo County (UCMP, SU, and CAS colln.), Merced(?) 

Formation, south of Stanford, Santa Clara County. Purisima 

Formation: east of Afio Nuevo Creek. San Mateo County, and 

Capitola, Santa Cruz County ( SU colin.) ; Pajaro River, northernmost San Benito County (USGS Cenozoic loc. M1805). 

Etchegoin and San Joaquin Formations: Kettleman Hills 

(Woodring and others, 1940). Etchegoin Formation: subsur· 

face near Tipton, Tulare County (Hanna and Hertlein, 1943). 

FoxE>n and Careaga Formations: Santa Maria Basin (Woodring 

and Bramlette, 1950). Middle or upper Pliocene strata: eastern 

Ventura basin (Woodring and Bramlette, 1950). 

Nassarius (Demondia) lincolnensis (Anderson and Martin) 

Plate 1, figures 20-22 

Nassa lincolnen8is Anderson and Martin, 1914, California Acad. 

Sci. Proc., ser. 4, v. 4, p. 77, pl. 7, figs. 14a, b. 

Nassariu.rs lincolnensis (Anderson and Martin). 'Veaver, 1942, 

Washington Univ. Pub. Geology, v. 5, p. 462., pl. 89, fig. 25·. 

Ilinia? lincolnen8is (Anderson and Martin). Moore, 1963, U.S. 

Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 419, p. 38-39, pl. 5, figs. 8-10, 

13, 15. 

H olotype: CAS 167. 

'l'z!Pe locality: CAS loc. 39. Sea cliff exposure immediately 

south of Nye Beach or a short distance north of the entrance 

to Yaquina Bay, Lincoln County, Oreg. (probably equivalent to 

locality A-14 of Vokes and others, 19-!9). Astoria Formation, 

middle Miocene. 

N assarhtJs liiwolnen8i.s is a small, stout species that 

has a strongly noded spiral cord that defines a subsutural tabulation on the body whorl. There is a 

sljght constriction in the body-vd1orl profile below the 

noded posterior spiral. 

It should be noted that the four different Miocene 

localities from which Anderson and ~fartin (1914) described eight new species of gastropods were incorrectly 

equated to lTniversity of vVashington locality 691 "on 

south side of Y aquina Head * * * 5lj2 1niles north of 

the entrance to Yaquina Bay1

' by 'Veaver (1942, p. 626). 

Yet Anderson and Martin's original descriptions indicate that hvo of the localities are north of Yaquina 

Head and that the other two are south of the head. 

Range: Middle Miocene. 

Occun·ence: Astoria Formation: western Washington (Moore, 

1963), Clatsop and Lincoln Counties, Oreg. (Anderson and Martin, 19'14; Moore, 1963). 

Subgenus CAESIA H. and A. Adams 

Oae8ia, H. and A. Adams, 1853, The genera of Recent Mollusca, 

v. 1, p, 120. 

Type (by subsequent designation, Wenz, 1943, Handbuch der PaHiozoologie, v. 6, p. 1235) .-Nassa perpingui8 Hinds. Recent, northeastern Pacific Ocean. 

Zaplwn H. and A. Adams (type, by monotypy: Buccinuan elegans Reeve= N a.s8arius fossatus (Gould) ) can 

be treated as a synonym of Caesia. The two names 

were proposed in the same publication. Caesia is here 

selected on the basis of page priority. 

Cossmann's placement ( 1901, p. 205-207) of these 

names under Uzita is not justified on morphologic 

grounds. The apertural characteristics clearly differ 

from those of the type of U zita ( Buocinum migum 

Bruguiere). ''Bucoinum" 1nigum has a narrow, sharply 

delimited parieta1 callus, whereas the callus of Caesia 

covers an extensive area of the body whorl as a. thin 

film. A further difference is the externally thickened 

outer lip of "Buccinum" 1nigum .. 

The subgenus Cae.sia first a.ppears in middle Miocene 

strata of the northeastern Pacific Ocean area. It is 

represented by a very few species until about the beginning of the Pleistocene. 

Key to some wc8tcrn A_meri.can species of Caesia 

1. Axial sculpture limited to upper part of body whorL___ 2 

Axial sculpture continuous 'across body whorL_________ 4 

2. Body whorl angulated near midpoint; adult shell large 

( > 25 llllll) --------------------------------------- 3 

Body whorl not angulated near midpoint; adult shell 

small (generally < 15 mm) ________ Nassarius whUneyi 

3. Angulation sharp ; axial sculpture of coarse, widely 

spaced folds which 'are swollen on the angulation _______________________________________ N. fo:s8atus 

Angulation rounded; axial sculpture of closely spaced, 

nodose ribs which are not swollen on the angulation ____________________________________ N. tn(Jirantanu:s 

4. Axial ribs widely spaced, interspaces between ribs on 

body whorl rectangular with long dimension perpendicular to axis of shelL_________________________ 5 

Axial ribs closely spaced, interspaces nearly square or 

rectangular with long dimension parallel to axis of 

shell_______________________________________________ 6 
B6 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY 

5. Interspaces about twice as wide as high ; axial and spiral 

ribs of about equal strength ___________________ N. delosi 

Interspaces about three times as wide as high ; axial 

sculpture of coarse folds, spiral ribs subdued_ N. cerritensis 

6. Profile smoothly tapered from base of body whorl to 

apex; sutures usually tabulate ___________ N. coalingensis 

Whorl profile rounded; sutures not ta!bulate____________ 7 

7. Aperture smooth within _______________________ N. rhinetes 

Aperture has strong internal spiral ribs_______________ 8 

8. Spiral sculpture of coarse, straplike primary dbs, no 

secondary ribs; axial ribs subdued, frequently obsolete on body whorL ___________________________ N. grammatus 

Spiral sculpture of primary and secondary ribs_________ 9 

9. Secondary spiral ribs present on upper part of body 

whorl of mature specimens; adult shell of medium 

size ( < 25 mm), relatively slender _________ N. perpinguis 

Three-fourths or more of body whorl seulptured with 

alternating primary and secondary spiral ribs ; adult 

shell large ( > 30 mm), body whorl inflated, 

spire short_ ____________________ N. grarnmat,us n. subsp.? 

Nassarius (Caesia) grammatus (Dall) 

Plate 2,'figures 1, 2, 7, 8, 13-16, 26 

N ass a californiana Conrad. Arnold in Arnold and Anderson, 

1907. U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 322, p. 150, pl. 24, fig. 4. 

Arnold, 1908, U.S. Natl. Mus. Proc., v. 34, pl. 36, fig. 6. 

Arnold in Branner, Newsom, and Arnold, 1909, U.S. Geol. 

Survey Geol. Atlas, Santa Cruz Folio, no. 163, illus. 2, 

fig. 73. 

?Nassarius (Schizopyga) californiamts (Conrad). Grant and 

Gale, 1931, San Diego Soc. Nat. History Mem., v. 1, p. 

672-673, in part, pl. 26, fig. 49. 

?Na,ssarius californiantts (Nassa). Howard, 1935, California 

Oil Fields, v. 20, no. 4, pl. 9, fig. 6. 

Nassa rnoraniana Martin. Martin, 1916, California Univ., Dept. 

Geology Bull., v. 9, p. 229?, 231, 233, 243, not p. 230. 

"Nassa'' rnoraniana Martin. Stewart in Woodring, Stewart, and 

Richards, 1940, U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 195, p. 

86-87, pl. 34, figs. 5, 6. 

Woodring and Bramlette, 1950, U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. 

Paper 222, p. 74-75, pl. 14, figs. 13, 14; pl. 17, figs. 7, 8; 

pl. 19, fig. 4. 

Schlzopyga rnoraniana (Martin). Schenck and Keen, 1940, 

1950, California fossils for the field geologist, pl. 51, fig. 2. 

Alectrion grarnrnatus Dall, 1917, U.S. Natl. Museum Proc., v. 

61, p. 575. 

Original description.-"About the same size as [Nassarius] fossat,us, but more regular and compact, with a 

uniform sculpture of flat spiral cords separated by narrow channels without intercalary minor spirals" (Dall, 

1917, p. 575). 

Supplementary description.-(Based on syntypes 

labeled USNM catalog No. 101721.) Moderately large, 

inflated; strong spiral sculpture. Spire of about five 

convex whorls. Protoconch and earliest whorls of spire 

worn smooth. Body whorl large, profile smoothly 

rounded, about .two-thirds height of shell. Sculptured 

by 14 evenly spaced, straplike spiral cords crossed by 

closely spaced, retractive axial threads. Rib intersections faintly noded on penultimate whorl but generally 

smooth on body whorl. Base of body whorl set off by 

a deeply channeled fossa. Aperture subovate, broadest 

near base. Outer lip relatively thin, sculptured internally by about 12 strong, frequently papillose spiral 

ridges, which correspond to the interspaces between ex.-

ternal spiral cords. Inner lip bordered by broad deposit 

of callus extending upward onto parietal wall. Lower 

part of the callus border conceals about half of the 

siphonal fasciole. Callus armed wi.th many irregularly 

spaced spiral plaits. Anterior canal short, deeply 

notched. Siphonal fasciole very broad, depressed 

medially. 

Height 35.9 mm, width 25.3 mm (type). 

Lectotype (here selected from four syntypes constituting 

USNM catalog No. 101721) : USNM 648566. 

Type locality: Pleistocene (Dan, 1917) [Pliocene], Santa 

Barbara, Calif. (presumably from the lower part of the Santa 

Barbara Formation). 

Although Dall's obscure name "Alectrion gra'lnTnatu,8" (1917, p. 575) may not seem particularly well 

suited as a standard bearer for this important Pliocene 

species, it is available and must be used. The type material eonsists of four specimens labeled "Santa Barbara, Cal., Pleistocene, Stearns Coli." One of the 

syntypes is here selected as lectotype and figured on 

plate 2 (figs. 1, 2). Woodring and Bramlette ( 1950, p. 

74) express doubt that the type material is from the 

Santa Barbara Formation beeause, in 1950, no additional specimens were known from this formation. The 

presence of N a8sariu8 gram1natu:s in the Santa Barbara 

Formation, however, has been definitely established by a 

few small specimens collected recently from exposures 

north of Goleta (USGS Cenozoic loc. M1918). The 

largest of these specimens (pl. 2, figs. 7, 8) J1as 13 nodose 

spiral cords on the body whorl. Other smaller specimens from this formation which seem to represent N. 

gram,m,atus are in the eollection of George Hughes of 

the lTniversity of California, Santa Barbara. Because 

of the disparity in size between the small specimen of 

N. grammatus definitely known to be from the Santa 

Barbara Formation and the much larger syntypes, there 

still remains an element of doubt as to the origin of the 

syntypes. 

N a8sariu8 gra,mmatus is characterized by a large, globose body whorl having uniform spiral and a.xial sculpture, the latter being somewhat variable in strength but 

always weaker than the the spiral sculpture. It is ancestral to the late Pliocene-early Pleistocene species 

N. mor·anianus Martin ( 1914, p. 183-184, pl. 22, figs. 

la-c) with which it has been generally identified in 

recent years. Specimens constituting the type lot of 

N. moranianus from the Merced Formation at Bolinas 
SOME WESTERN AMERICAN CENOZOIC GASTROPODS OF THE GENUS N ASSARIUS B7 

Bay, Marin County, Calif., moreover, differ significantly from N. grarnm.atus. They have a medially 

angulated body whorl sculptured by coarse axial ribs 

and secondary spiral ribs on the upper half but only 

sn1ooth spiral cords on the lower half (pl. 2, figs. 3, 4). 

The presence of these characters on the type material 

links N. rnoranianus more closely with the Pleistocene 

and Recent species N. fmssatus than with Pliocene speciInens of N. gran1/tnatus. Although identification of 

immature speci1nens is usually difficult, juvenile specimens of N. morYlnianus from the type locality have relatively coarser axial ribs than im1nature specimens of 

N. gram1n.a.t1Ns frmn western Santa Clara, County (pl. 2, 

fig. 26); in addition, they have the medial angulation 

on the body whorl. Grant and Gale's figure of N. californianus (1931, pl. 26, fig. 49) appears to be an immature specimen of N. grarnn~atus. 

Specimens identified as "Nassarius nwranianus" (N. 

g·ranwnatus) but having well-rounded, nonangulated 

body whorls sculptured by regularly alternating priInary and secondary spiral ribs are sculpturally distinct 

and 1nay warrant a new name. They seem to be closely 

related to N. grarnrnatus but are here referred to as 

N. grarn1natus n. subsp.? (pl. 2, fig. 12). There are 

insufficient specimens from localities where this taxon 

occurs, however, to confidently rule out the possibility 

that it is a sculptural variant rather than a subspecies. 

Crushed specimens of N. grammattts n. subsp.? are 

fairly common in the ~1erced Formation southeast of 

the type area (USGS Cenozoic loc. M1661). Other 

specimens in the Pliocene collections at the University 

of California, Berkeley, are from the basal part of the 

type Merced Formation south of the San Andreas fault; 

Coalinga quadrangle (UCMP loc. A1304) ; and the Rio 

Dell Formation of Ogle (1953), Humboldt County, 

Calif. (UGMP loc. B7642; pl. 2, fig. 12). There are 

three speci1nens referable to this taxon in a collection 

at Stanford University labeled "Pacific Beach" (San 

Diego Formation, Pliocene). The fossil from the Tinaquaic Sandstone ~!ember of the Sisquoc Formation of 

the Santa Maria basin, California, figured by Woodring and Bramlette (1950, pl. 7, figs. 3, 4) as "Na-'3sa" sp. 

probably is referable to this taxon, judging by the 

strong, alternating primary and secondary internal 

spiral ribs on the internal n1old. "N as sa" sp. is widespread in this member of the Sisquoc Formation and 

reportedly does not range into younger strata. Most 

of the known occurrences of N. gr·mnmatus n. subsp.? 

are from strata which have been classified in part as 

"middle" Pliocene by various workers on differing 

criteria, principally stratigraphic position. 

This species probably evolved from the small Miocene species, N assarhts :w,hitneyt~ (Trask, 1922, p. 154, 

pl. 7, figs. 3, 6) from the Sobrante and Briones Sandstones of Contra Costa County, Calif. A suggested 

lineage of the late Cenozoic species of Oaesia from the 

Pacific coast of North America which are believed to 

have evolved from N. whitneyi through N. gra1nmatus 

is outlined in figure 1. A broad callus deposit borders 

the inner lip of the aperture of these species and in 

mature individuals is characteristically armored with 

several spiral plaits. The outer lip is usually strongly 

lirate within. 

A slender Pliocene species frmn the San Joaquin Valley, N assarius coalingensi-'3 (Arnold, 1909, p. 88-89, 

pl. 27, fig. 9), was originally described as a variety of 

"N aBsa californiana '' ( N. grammatus) . This species 

(pl. 2, figs. 17, 18) is similar to N. g1YU1unatus but can 

be distinguished fron1 it and other related late Cenozoic 

nassariid gastropods by its smoothly tapered, bulletshaped profile and tabulate sutures. 

I N. rhinetes 

~ Upper 

N. cerritensis ~ 

~~--+---~,-,~----~N~.~de~ios~i-------------+----~ 

~ ---· 0:: Lower V_. .. ---

I 

Ql 

c 

~ .Q 

0:: 

Upper 

N.fossa.tus 

N. perpinguis } N. rnoranianus ' i I ,_ / .. .............. ,..,/ 

/ .. - N. coalingens·is '--............. 

N. grarr;rnatus [N. m.o-ranianus of authors] 

~ 

.Q 

~~--+---------------------1-------------~ 

~ 

Middle 

N. whitneyi 

FIGURE !.-Stratigraphic occurrence and possible evolution of 

western American Oenozoic nassariid gastropods o.f the subgenus Oaes·ia. Subdivisions of the Tertiary and Quaternary 

Systems are those of Weaver and others (1944). 

A Pliocene record of "Alectrion californica var." (B. 

L. Clark in Santillan and Barrera, 1930) from an unspecified locality north of El Rosario in northwestern 

Baja California, Mexico, may represent N. gramrnatus. 

A recent investigation of Pliocene strrut~a of this area 

(Hertlein and Allison, 1959), however, failed to recover 

additional specimens or to loca'te the material upon 

which Clark's identification was made. 

N assarius g·ramrnatus is one of the more widespread 

and characteristic mollusks which occur in formations 

generally considered to be Pliocene in the standard Pa-
B8 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY 

cific coast provincial classification of Weaver and others 

( 1944) . Its presence in the Santa Barbara Formation 

can be regarded, ~therefore, as evidence for placement 

of part of the formation in the Pliocene, as that term 

has been used in the Pacific coast molluscan chronolgy. 

Another important Pliocene species, Patinopecten 

healyi (Arnold), has been recently collected from near 

the base of the formation (USGS Cenozoic loc. M1717). 

These and other previously unreported Pliocene taxa 

are in stratigraphic collections made by George Hughes 

of the University of California, Santa Barbara, from 

new exposures of the Santa Barbara Formation northwest of the type locality. These collections are from 

strata that conformably underlie a bryozoan biostrome 

which may be correlative with the lowest strata exposed 

in the type area, a bryozoan-rich mudstone and mad. 

The age of the Santa Barbara Formation, considered 

to be early Pleistocene by some workers, can therefore 

be regarded as late Pliocene and early Pleistocene. 

Range: Pliocene. 

Occttrrence: Characteristic of Pliocene formations from Humboldt County, northern California (W. G. Cooper Colln., SU) to 

San Diego (F. Stephens Colln., SU) and possibly northern Baja 

California, Mexico (Santillan and Barrera, 1930). 

Nassarius (Caesia) moranianus (Martin) 

Plate 2, figures 3, 4, 9-11, 29 

Nassa. mot·aniana Martin, 1914, California Univ., Dept. Geology 

Bull., v. 8, p. 183-184, pl. 22, figs. la-c. 

Martin, 1916, California Univ., Dept. Geology Bull., v. 9, p. 

230. 

N assaritts ( Schizopyga) moranianus (Martin). Grant and 

Gale, 1931, San Diego Soc. Nat. History Mem., v. 1, p. 

676, in part. 

Glen, 1959, California Univ.. Dept. Geol. Sci. Bull., v. 

36, p. 180. 

Nassarius moranianus (Martin). Hertlein, 1951, California 

Div. Mines Bull. 154, p. 191, text fig. 2, no. 9. 

N assarius ( Schizopyga) cf. N. ( S.) californianus (Conrad). 

Gle~, 1959', California Univ., Dept. Geol. Sci. Bull., v. 36, 

p. 180. 

Holotype: UCMP 12338. 

Type locality: UOMP loc. 1549, Bolinas Bay, Marin County, 

Calif., Merced Formation, late Pliocene. 

This species closely resembles N assarius fossatus 

(Gould), a common Pleistocene and Recent species in 

California and Oregon. It has a stouter, less high 

spired shell than that species and ·a generally more 

finely sculptured, less strongly ·angulated body whorl. 

Adult specimens of N. fossatus characteristically have 

widely spaced axial folds on the later whorls, which 

are strongest on the angulation (pl. 2, figs. 5, 6). Differenti·ation of N. moranian~ts from the Pliocene species 

N. grammatu8 is less difficult owing to the uniform 

sculpture on the body whorl of N. grammatus as well 

rus to the ·absence of a medial angulation. Most Pliocene 

records of N. 1nora.nianu.s can be referred to N. gran~­

mat·us. 

N a.rssaTius nwranianus probably evolved from N. 

grmnm.atus near the end of what in California is generally considered by most workers to be Pliocene time. 

Nassarius fossatus 1nay have evolved from N. moranian·ns shortly thereafter (fig. 1). The presence of secondary spiral cords on the upper part of the body whorl 

of juvenile and adult specimens of N. nwranianus from 

the upper part of the type Merced Formation (pl. 2, 

figs. 3, 4) seems to link this species with similar Pleistocene specimens of N. fossatus on which secondary 

spiral cords are nearly as strong as the primaries. Another point of similarity is the frequent absence of 

strong axial folds on early Pleistocene species of N. fossa.tus. There are very few Pliocene records of N. fossatU8. Most are either tentative identifications (Howe, 

1922; Woodring and Bramlette, 1950) or identifications 

that preceded the recognition of N. 1noranianus as distinct from N. fossatus (Cooper, 1888, p. 253). Cooper's Miocene records of N. fo"Bsatus (1888) presumably 

are of N.1ohitneyi (Trask, 1922). 

The age of the smaH Merced assemblage from the type 

locality of N a8sarius nwranianus (Martin, 1916, p. 230) 

at Bolinas Bay is Pliocene as used in the Pacific coast 

molluscan chronology. Scutellaster interlinea.tus, Olinocardiunb 1neekianum, and Ophiodermella 1nercedensis, 

three of the eighteen invertebrate taxa listed by Martin, 

are generally regarded as Pliocene species. The assemblage occurs about 20 miles to the northwest of the 

type area of the Merced Formation. A large specimen 

in the type lot (pl. 2, fig. 29) approaches the slender, 

high-spired late Pleistocene variant of N. fossatus (pl. 2, 

figs. 30, 31) named N. fossatus forma coiloterus 

( vV oodring). 

There are two known early Pleistocene occurrences 

of N assarius moranianus. One is fron1 the upper part 

of the type Merced Formation near San Francisco, 

Calif. (pl. 2, fig. 11). The other is from the Saugus 

Formation (W aterfaH, 1929, chart opposite p. 78) of 

the western Ventura basin (pl. 2, fig. 10). 

The Recent occurrence of N assaritts 1norania:mts reported in Grant and Gale (1931, p. 676) is not necessarily a range extension, as it is based upon fossil 

material in the Stanford University collections labeled 

with the manuscript name "N. gm~oldH," according to 

Keen (in Burch, 1945,no. 51, p. 7). 

Range: Upper Pliocene to lower Pleistocene. 

Occwrrence: Upper Pliocene: Merced Formation, Bolinas, 

Calif. (Martin, 1914). Lower Pleistocene : upper part of Merced Formation, San Francisco area (Glen, 1959) ; Saugus Formation of Waterfall (1929), western Ventura basin UCMP loc. 

7071, 7078, 7091, 7092. 
SOME WESTERN AMERICAN CENOZOIC GASTROPODS OF THE GENUS NASSARIUS B9 

Nassarius (Caesia) coalingensis (Arnold) 

Plate 2, figures 17, 18 

Nassa californiana Conrad var. coalingensis Arnold, 1909, U.S. 

Geol. Survey Bull. 396, p. 88--89, pl. 27, fig. 9. 

Arnold and Anderson, 1910, U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 398, 

pl. 49, fig. 9. 

"Nassa" coalingensis Arnold. Woodring, Stewart, and Richards, 1940, U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 195, p. 87, pl. 15, 

fig. 3. 

Holotype: USNM 16551. 

Type locality: USGS loc. 4758. Bed C, near top of section 

at Henry Spring, 4 miles south of Coalinga, Calif., in S\V% 

sec. 18, T. 21 S., R. 15 E. Etchegoin Formation (unrestricted) 

of Arnold ( 1909) , Pliocene. 

This species is characterized by a smoothly tapered 

profile which can be described as bullet shaped. The 

point of maximum diameter of the body whorl is near 

the base. The sculpture is most similar to that of N. 

grammatus but the sides of the whorls are nearly flat 

and the summits are generally tabuiate. 

Range: Pliocene. 

Occurrence: Etchegoin Formation (unrestricted) of Arnold 

(1909) (including San Joaquin Formation of later workers), 

Coalinga district, California. San Joaquin Formation, Kettleman Hills, Calif. (Woodring and others, 1940) . Pancho Rico 

Formation, Salinas Valley, Calif. (USGS Cenozoic loc. M979). 

Nassarius (Caesia) whitney! (Trask) 

Plate 2, figures 19-25, 27 

Na.<;sa whitneyi Trask, 1922, California Univ., Dept. Geol. Sci. 

Bull., v.13, p. 154, pl. 7, figs. 3, 6. 

Nassarius whitneyi (Trask). Clark, 1929, Stratigraphy and 

faunal horizons of the Coast Ranges of California, pl. 34, 

fig. 9. 

Schenck and Keen, 1940, California fossils for the field geologist, p~. 45, fig. 1, 2. 

Lutz, 1951, California Univ., Dept. Geol. Sci. Bull., v. 28, 

p. 392, pl. 18, fig. 8. 

?Nassa sp. Whiteaves in Mackenzie, 1916, Canada Geol. Survey 

Mem. 88, p. 75. 

?Oaesia sp. K. Arnold in Mackenzie, 1916, Canada Geol. Survey 

Mem. 88, p. 76. 

?Nassarius antiselli (Anderson and Martin). Weaver, 1953, 

Washington Univ. Pub. Geology, v. 7, p. 64. 

Type: UCMP 12387. 

Type locality: UOMP loc. 3524. On west side of San Ramon 

Valley, 281 mm E., 223 mm S. from north.west corner Concord 

15 minute quadrangle (coordinates meet in sec. 2, T. 1 S., 

R. 2 W.), Contra Oosta County, Oalif. Briones Sandstone, late 

Miocene. 

Although N assariU8 whitneyi does not seem to have 

been recorded in the literature ·as N assariU8 californianU8, it has been confused with the middle Miocene 

species N. arnoldi, presumably because of poorly illustrated and incomplete type material. The !Species is 

here reviewed to record new data on its stratigraphic 

range and geographic occu:rwence. 

753-170 0-65-3 

N assarius whitneyi is one of the more distinctive fossil nassariids from the Pacific coast of North Amerioa. 

It has a unique combination of small ·adult size, weak 

axial sculpture confined to the upper one-third of the 

body whorl, and numerous, closely 1Spaced spiral ribs. 

These characteristic •are not present, as a group, in any 

other known western American species of 0 ae8ia. 

Specimens from the upper Miocene of Contra Costa 

County, Calif., in collections at the University of California, including type material, are internal and external molds, completely· devoid of shell material and 

frequently deformed. It should be noted that the types 

and other specimens of N. whitneyi show no evidence of 

the originally described varicose outer lip, although the 

mold from which the holotype was cast was excavated 

in such a manner that a false swelling is present. The 

reported v-arix m•ay have led some workers (Grant and 

Gale, 1931, p. 679) to include this taxon in the subgenus U zita. The strong spiral ribs on internal molds 

of N. 1.ohitneyi, the deep fossa, and the general profile 

are characteristic of some subsequent species in the western American lineage of Oaesia, namely, N. grammLttu.s, 

N. moranianus, andN. fo8satus (fig.1). 

'The earliest occurrence of this species is from the 

"Sobrante" Formation (Lutz, 1951, p. 392, pl. 18, fig. 8) 

of the Pacheco syncline, Contra Costa County, Calif., a 

unit which contains a small but characteristic middle 

Miocene fauna. Weaver's identification (1953, p. 64) 

of N assariU8 antiselli (Anderson and Martin) from this 

formation presumably is N. whitneyi. The type locality of N. whitneyi is in ·the Briones Sandstone, a unit 

which has been included as the lowest of three formations in the San Pablo Group. In a recent study of the 

San Pablo Group in western Contra Costa County,2 

the range of N. whitney,i has been extended upward to a 

position near the top of the overlying lower member of 

Doumani's San Pablo Formation (UCMP loc. B4739). 

This unit presumably is equivalent to the Cierbo Sandstone of some workers. 

Considerable variation in the number of spiral ribs 

has been noted in specimens of N assarius whitneyi from 

the Briones Sandstone of Contra Costa County. According to Trask ( 1922, p. 154), spiral ribs range from 

11 to 13 on the body whorl, yet small specimens from 

UCMP locality B4749 (pl. 2, figs. 25, 27) have from 12 

to a.Js many 'as 17 spirals on the body whorl. Specimens 

from the "Sobrante" Formation and Briones Sandstohe 

of the Pacheco syncline (pl. 2, figs. 23, 24) , several miles 

north of the type locality, have a fairly constant count 

of 15 spirals on the body whorl. 

2 Doumani, G. 1., 1957, Stratigraphy of the San Pablo Group, Contra 

Costa County, California: California Univ., Berkeley, M.A. Thesis, 72 p. 
BIO CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY 

A small nassariid from the Skonun Formation (MaeJ{enzie, 1916, p. 73) of northern Graham Island, British 

Colun1bia (pl. 2, figs. 19-22), is here identified as N assariu8 rwhitneyi. Of the 1

Six specimens in a collection 

from Skonun Point (1JCLA loc. 467 4), five have 12 

spiral cords on the body whorl, and one has 13. They 

oannot be differentiated from son1e of the smaller, 

coarsely ribbed specimens of N. ·whitneyi fron1 Contra 

Costa County, Calif. The fauna of the Skonun Formation is poorly known, and the age is uncertain, although 

probably within the range of Miocene or Pliocene as 

given by ~1acl{enzie (1916), if one judges by the collection from UCLA locality 4674. 

Range: Middle to upper Miocene. 

Qccurrence: Middle Miocene: Sobrante Formation of Lutz 

(1951), Contra Costa County, Calif. Middle or upper Miocene: 

upver part of Branch Canyon Formation of Hill and others 

(1958), eastern San Luis Obispo County, Calif. (J. G. Vedder 

field loc. F28 7K-34). Upper .Miocene: Briones Sandstone, 

Contra Costa County, Calif. (Trask, 1922; Weaver, 1949, 1953; 

Ham, 1952) ; lower member of the San Pablo Formation. 3 

Upper Miocene or Pliocene: Skonun Formation, Skonun Point, 

northern Graham Island, British Columbia (UCLA loc. 4674). 

Nassarius (Caesia) delosi (Woodring) 

Plate 1, figures 23-25,_ 28-30 

N ass a califor,ni,ana (Conrad) . Arnold, 1903, California A cad. 

Sci. Mem., v. 3, p. 231, in part, pl. 4, fig. 3. 

"Nassa" delosi Woodring in Woodring, Bramlette, and Kew, 

1946, U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 207, p. 74, pl. 35, figs. 

12-15. 

Holotype: USNM 498653. 

Type locality: USGS loc. 12135. East sicle of 48-foot mesa, 

1,000 ft southeast of intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Pacific Electric tracks, San Pedro, Calif. Palos Verdes Sand, late 

Pleistocene. 

N a8sariU8 delosi (Woodring) is a large high-spired 

species that has a broadly cancellate seulpture. It 

most closely resembles N. rhz:netes Berry (1953, p. 415-

416, pl. 28, fig. 7), a Recent species long known as N. 

californianus (Conrad) of Dall (1921). Fro1n N. 

rhinetes, N. delosi differs by being more slender and by 

having -..videly spaced, stronger axial ribs w-hich intersect the spiral ribs to form rectangular interspaces. The 

interspaces on the body whorl of adult specimens of 

N. rhinetes are nearly square. Very young individuals 

of the two species are difficult to differentiate (Woodring and others, 1946, p. 7 4). Another species sculptured son1ewhat likeN. delosi is N. cerritensi.s (Arnold, 

1903, p. 231-232, pl. 4, fig. 1). This late Pleistocene 

to Recent taxon (pl. 1, figs. 26, 27) differs frmn N. 

delosi by being more slender and by having coarser, 

extremely widely spaced axial folds on the l~ater whorls. 

Since N assan:u._~ delosi waJS originally described, it has 

been found in most of the known upper Pleistocene tera See footnote 2. 

race deposits in Southern ~and Baja California, although 

it is eommonly represented by only ~a few individuals ~at 

any one locality. Some reeorcls of N. californianus 

from late Pleistoeene faunas of California prior to 

a:bout 1946, such as oecurrenees in the Millerton Formation at Tomales Bay, Calif. (Dickerson, 1922; Weaver, 

1949), probably repre,sent N. delosi. Recently, individual specimens of N. delOisi have been found living in the 

intertidal zone at Balboa (Newport Beach) and Mission Bay, Southern California (Chace, 1957, 1962). 

These speci1nens are here figured (pl. 1, figs. 23, 30) 

through the kindness of James McLean of Stanford 

University, who photographed them at the San Diego 

Musemn of Natu}}al History. 

Range: Lower Pleistocene to Recent. 

Occurrence: Lower Pleistocene: Saugus Formation west of 

Ventura, Calif. (USGS Cenozoic loc. M1723). Upper Pleistocene: marine terrace deposits from Tomales Bay, Calif. (Valentine, 1961 ), to Punta Baja, Baja California (Emerson and Ad.-

dicott, 1958). Recent: Balboa (Newport Beach), Calif., to 

Mission Bay, Calif. (Chace, 1962) . 

Nassarius (Ca.esia) rhinetes Berry 

Plate 2, figure 28 

Nassa californiana (Conrad). Rivers, 1891, Zoe, v. 2, p. 70-72, 

1 text fig. 

Berry, 1907, Nautilus, v. 21, p. 40. 

Schizopyga californ~iana Conrad. Dall, 1921, U.S. Natl. Museum 

Bull. 112, p. 102, pl. 11, fig. 4. Figure reproduced by 

Oldroyd, 1927, as Alect1·ion caUfornianus (Conrad), 

Stanford Univ. Pub., Univ. Ser. Geol. Sci., v. 2, pt. 1, p. 

264, pl. 26, fig. 13. 

N as sari us caUfornianus (Conrad). Demond, 1952, Pacific Sci., 

v. 6, p. 306--307, pl. 2, fig. 6. 

Nassm·ius (Schizopyga) 1·hinetes Berry, 1953, San Diego Soc. 

Nat. History Trans., v. 11, p. 415-416, pl. 28, fig. 7. 

Holotype: S. S. Berry personal collection No. 1182 (Redlands, 

Calif.). 

Type locality: Dredged from 40 fathoms off Moss Landing, 

Monterey Bay, Calif. 

This species is similar to both N assariU8 delosi 

(Woodring) ~and N. perp,inguis (Hinds). It has more 

numerous, weaker axial ribs than N. delosi. To distinguish it frmn N. perpingui.s is more difficult. The 

body whorl of N. rhinetes appears to be relatively 

larger than that of N. perpingttd8, and specimens of N. 

rhinetes at hand and published figures show no evidence 

of seeondary spirals on the body whorl such as are 

present on m'any of the larger speeimens of N. perpinguis (pl. 3, fig. 29). The number of primary spiral 

ribs, 11 or 12, is the same on both species. 

There are no verified late Pleistocene occurrences of 

N as8ariU8 rhinete8. Burch's statement (1945, no. 51, 

p. 7) to the effect that this species ("N. californianttts") 

is charaeteristic of "the Del Rey Pleistocene deposit in 

the Baldwin Hills" probably refers to the later named 
SOME ·wES'rER~ AMERICAN CENOZOIC GASTROPODS OF THE GENUS NASSARIUS Bll 

N. de1osi. .Most bathymetric. records of this species 

(Rivers, 1891, p. 71; Smith and Gordon, 19-!8, p. 187; 

Demond, 1952, p. 307; Berry, 1953, p. 416) are from 

moderate depths, 25-40 fathoms, in the sublittoral zone. 

This is a far greater depth than the maxinnun measurable relief . of the terrace platfonns upon which late 

Pleistocene mollusks lived and may 'account for its absence in these assemblages. There is, ho'\vever, one 

occurrence in moderately shallow \Yater (15 fathoms) 

in Monterey Bay, listed by Burch (1945, no. 51, p. 7). 

Range: Recent. 

Occ1wrcnce: Squaw Creek, Oreg., to Magdalena Bay, Baja 

California (Burch, 1945, no. 51, p. 7). 

Subgenus CATILON Addicott, n. subgen. 

Type.-N assa arnoldi Anderson. Middle Miocene, 

California and Oregon. 

Shell cmnmonly sn1all, rather low spired. Body 

whorl stout, smoothly rounded, relatively large. Sculpture reticulate to somewhat papillose; closely set axial 

and spiral ribs of variable strength; axial sculpture 

retractive. Aperture ovate, interrupted anteriorly by 

fairly wide siphonal notch, base subtruncate. Outer 

lip thickened externally by varix, bearing about seven 

recessed denticles. Parietal callus narrow, leading 

edge broadly rounded and clearly delimited from surface of body whorl. Callus armed with a strong posterior parietal plait and, usually, one weaker plait above 

the basal spiral fold. The na.me Oatilon is formed by 

an arbitrary cmnbination of letters. 

Several small Miocene and Pliocene nassariids from 

the Pacific coast of the United States forn1 a natural 

group typified by N assarh.ts arno1di. Living speeies of 

OaMlon seem to be restricted to the Panmnic 1nolluscan 

province of the eastern Pacific Ocean (southern Baja 

California, ~:!exico, to Peru) . These species are characterized by a narrow, sharply delimited apertural callus, an externally thickened outer lip, and reticulate or 

papillose sculpture. ~fany of these species have been 

placed in Uzita H. and A. Adams, presumably because 

of similarity to well-illustrated late Cenozoie nassariids 

from the tropieal western Atlantic Oeean area, which 

are custon1arily placed in that taxon. Western Aineriean species of 0 atilon differ from these species placed in 

U zita and from specimens of the type of U zita, "Buccinum~" m:igwm Bruguiere, in the Reeent eollections at 

Stanford University by lacking the rmv of fine plaits 

on the inner lip of the aperture, the numerous fine spiral 

plaits within the outer lip, and, in anterior view, the 

constricted opening for the anterior siphon at the apertural face. 1\fore importantly, "Burcin-urm" rnigu1n differs from speeies here included in Oatilon by having 

coarse protractive axial folds, which are rather strongly 

curved on the spire and sinuous on the body whorl, and 

an attendant wavy suture. 

~\.. highly variable late Plioeene to Recent nassariicl 

\Y hie h mn y be referable to U zi ta is N mssarius irusculptu:s 

(Carpenter). A ,·nriant or subspeeies of this normally 

smooth speeies, N. husru}ptus eupleuJ'a (Dall) figured 

by Demond ( 1952, pl. 2, fig. 1), has fairly strong, coarse 

axial fohls whieh resemble those of "B,ucainum1

' migu-1n 

in appearing to be both sinuous and protractive. The 

outer lip of N. insculptus is thickened and the inner lip 

bears a vertical row of fine spiral plaits. This species 

and its subspecies or variants, N. insculptus forma 

euplettra and N. insculptus forma gordanus (Hertlein 

and Strong, 1951, p. 81-82, pl. 8, fig. 6), range from 

Point Arena, northern California, to the southern part 

of the Gulf of California, Mexico. 

The subgenus first appears in strata classified as lower 

Miocene in the Pacific Coast molluscan chronology. It 

seems to have become extinct on the west coast of the 

United States after the Pliocene Epoch. A living representative of Oatilon originally described from material dredged from deep water off Panama, N assarius 

catallus ( Dall) , is known to range as far north as the 

west coast of Mexico (A. M. Keen, ''Titten commun. 

1963). N. catallus has been recorded from 1noderately 

deep water in the vicinity of San Miguel Island (lat 

34° N.) off the coast of Southern California (Strong 

in Burch, 1945, no. 51, p. 4; Demond, 1952, p. 312) ; 

however, this record is regarded as doubtful by some 

workers. 

Several nassariids from the modern Panamic molluscan province of the tropical eastern Paeific Ocean seem 

to belong in this subgenus. They are: N assarius catall'lts (Dall), N. gal1egosi Strong and Hertlein, N. guayrnwsensis (Pilsbry and Lowe), N. miser (Dall), N. 

politstes (Dall), N. versicolor (C. B. Adams), and N. 

(wiltwni (C. B. Ada1ns). 

Key to some western American Tertiary species of Catilon 

1. Body whorl sculptured by 10 or more spiral cords______ 2 

Body whorl sculptured by nine or fewer spiral cords____ 6 

2. Spiral sculpture of irregularly alternating straplike 

ribs ____________________________ Nassarius salinasensis 1 

Spiral sculpture of uniform spiral cords_______________ 3 

3. Axial sculpture stronger than spiral sculpture__________ 5 

Axial and spiral sculpture about equally strong________ <1 

4. Stout, spire much shorter than body whorL ____ N. arnoldi 

Slender, spire nearly as high as body whorL_ N. pabloensis 2 

5. Axial ribs narrow, widely spaced; spiral ribs subdued; 

moderately high spired, apex blunt_ _________ N. hamlini 

Axial sculpture of broad folds which become obsolete toward base; spiral ribs strong; low spired ______ N. smooti 

6. Sculpture papillose or of strong axial ribs, eight or less 

spiral cords on body whorL________________________ 7 

Sculpture reticulate, nine spiral cords on body whorL__ 9 

See footnotes at end of table. 
Bl2 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY 

7. Basal fossa weak or indistinct_______________________ 8 

Basal fossa strongly incist>d ___________________ N. iniqu'l/8 

8. Very small ( <5 mm), stout: body whorl with anterior tabulation and basal fossa ; sculptured by eoarse axial ribs 

and finer spiral eords _______________________ N. churclt i 

Small, rather slender; body whorl not tabulate, basal fossa 

indistinet; sculpture papillose ______________ N. antiselU 1 

9. Shell medium- to high-spired_________________________ 10 

Shell, low spired; aperture eharacteristically sculptured by 

paired anterior and posterior parietal denticles __ N. 8tocki 

10. Body whorl evenly rounded; high spired______________ 11 

Body whorl with narrow subsutural tabulation. spire of 

medium height_ ___________________________ N. ander80n'i 

11. Adult shell of medium size (about 15 mm or larger) : 

rib intersections coarsely noded, interspaces deeply 

pitted __________________________________ N. pabloen8i8 2 

Adult shell small ( <10 mm) ; rib intersections weakly 

noded, interspaces not deeply pitted ______ N. hildegardae 

1 Species questionably assigned to Oatilon. 

2 Although Nassarius pabloensis commonly has 9 spiral cords, a few 

large specimens have 10 spirals. 

Nassarius (Catilon) churchi (Hertlein) 

Alectrion churchi Hertlein, 1928, Jour. Paleontology, v. 2. p. 156, 

pl. 22, fig. 2. 

Na88ariu8 clwrcki (Hertlein). Loel and Corey, 1932, California 

Univ .. Dt>pt. Geology Sd. Bull.. v. Z2, p. 241, pl. 48, fig. 2. 

Holotype: CAS 4149. 

Type locality: CAS loc. 1150, sea cliff exposure about 0.5 kilometer west of mouth of Arlington Canyon, Santa Rosa Island, 

Calif. Vaqueros Formation, early Miocene. 

This minute species is known only from the holotype, 

a slender specimen that has strong axial ribs crossed by 

about nine finer spiral threads. A specimen from the 

shale member of the so-called Temblor Formation of 

Santa Cruz Island figured by Bren1ner ( 1932, pl. 2, 

fig. ±) as Nas.rsarhus chu,rchi (Hertlein) is a small, rotund species of Cancellaria that has cancellate sculpture 

quite unlike that of the holotype of N. clntrchi. 

Occurrence: Vaqueros Formation, early Miocene, Santa Rosa 

Island. 

Nassarius (Catilon) arnoldi (Anderson) 

Plate 3. figures 1-3, 10, 15 

Nassa arnoldi Anderson, 1905. California Acad. Sci. Proc., sm·. 

3, v. 2, p. 204, pl. 16, figs. 70, 71. 

N a8sar,ius ( Hima) arnoldi (Anderson). Etherington, 1931, 

California Univ., Dept. Geol. Sci. Bull .. v. 20, p. 99, pl. 12, 

figs. 15, 19. 

N assarlus arnoldi (Anderson) . Weaver, 1942, Washington 

Univ. Pub. Geology, v. 5, p. 461, pl. 89, fig. 14. 

Czita? at·noldi (Anderson). Moore, 1963, U.S. Geol. Survey 

Prof. Paper 419, p. 39, pl. 5, figs. 14, 16-20. 

Small, commonly low spired; sculpture cancellate. 

Spire conieal, consisting of about four whorls. N ucleoconch of about two smooth whorls. Body whorl globose, 

sculptured by 10-13 spiral cords crossed by slightly 

retract.ive axial ribs of variable strength. The subsutural pair of spi1ral cords are more sharply noded 

than the lower spirals. Base of body whorl bordered 

by a narrow, incised fossa. Aperture subovate, base 

subtruneate. Outer lip thickened externally by a varix, 

coarsely denticulate within. Columellar lip has a narrow, fairly thick callus bordered anteriorly by a strong 

fold and bearing an anterior and a posterior spiral 

plait. Siphonal fasciole sculptured by about five spiral 

cords. 

Heigbt 7.4 mm, width 4.6 mm ( neotype). 

Holotype lost during the 1906 San Francisco fire. Neotype 

(here designated) : USNM 648577. 

Type locality: In the vicinity of Barker's Ranch (formerly 

located near the center of sec. 5, T. 29 S., R. 29 E., Bakersfield 

quad.). This and other newly described species were collected 

"chiefly north of the [Kern] river" (Anderson, 1905, p. 187). 

The neotype is from USGS Cenozoic loc. M1597, which is within 

Anderson's generalized description of the original type locality. 

Olcese Sand of Diepenbrock ( 1933) , middle Miocene. 

N assarius arnoldi is characterized by its small, stout 

shell and finely reticulate sculpture and by the pair of 

strongly nodose spiral cords a,t the top of the body 

whorl. The outer lip is always thickened by a varix, 

and other varices appear randomly at earlier resting 

stages on a few specimens. Specimens frmn the vicinity 

of the type locality are characteristically very small, 

low spired, and not particularly v,ariable. At other 

localities, however, t,here is considerable variation in 

ornamentation and spire height. The axial sculpture 

ranges from very strong on some specimens to nearly 

obsolete on the body whorl of other specimens. Occasional high -spired specimens are present in collections 

from the I\:ern River area, California. 

Middle Mioc~me species with 'vhich N assarius arnoldi 

occurs are N. antiselli (Anderson and Martin) and N. 

smooti Addicot>t,, n. sp. N. antiselli differs from N. 

arnoldi by having eight coarsely papillose spiral cords 

on the body whorl and only three spirals on the penultimate whorl. The base of N. antiselli is not strongly 

constricted as in N. arnoldi nor does it have a particularly well-defined fossa. N assariu.s snwoti differs from 

N. arnoldi by having a thick ,apertural callus, excava;ted 

sutures, and coarse axial folds. 

This species occurs in the Astoria Formation in 

Oregon and Washington and is one of the taxa used to 

correlate that formation with deposits of middle 

Mioeene nge in California. It also occurs with middle 

Miocene speeies in strata conformably underlying the 

Astoria Formation; these strata haYe been ma,pped as 

the Lineol.n Formation of Weaver (1912) (Gower and 

Pease, 1964) in the Montesano Quadrangle,, Grays Harbor County, Wash. (pl. 3, fig. 15). In California, Nassarius arnoldi is known only from strata that are classified as middle Miocene. 

Range: Middle Miocene. 

Occnrrence: Uppermost part of Lincoln Formation o.f Weaver 
SOME WESTERN AMERICAN CENOZOIC GASTROPODS OF THE GENUS Nd.SSA..RlVS B13 

( 1912), Grays Harbor County, Wash. (USGS Cenozoic locs. 

::\11496, M1514). Astoria Formation: Grays Harbor County, 

south'''eRtern Washington (Etherington, 19131; Weayer, 1942) : 

coastal Oregon (Arnold and Hannibal, 1m3 ; Moore, 19163). 

1lonterey Group: Point Reyes area, Sonoma County, and San 

Pablo Bay area, both in California ('Veaver, 1949'). Temblor 

Formation: La Panza area, San Luis Obispo County, Calif. 

( Loel and Corey, 1932), Reef Ridge area, California (Stewart, 

1946). Round Mountain Silt and other Olcese Sand of Diepenbrock (1933). Kern River di~triet, California. Altamira Shale 

Member of Monterey Shale, Palos Verdes Hills, California 

OVoodring and others, 1946, p. 27) as "Na8sa'' aff. "N." arnoldi. 

Nassarius (Catilon) smooti Addicott, n. sp. 

Pia te 3. figures 7-9 

Shell snmll, stout, low spired. Nucleus consisting of 

two smooth whorls. Whorls of spire slightly convex, 

sculptured by 10 or 11 broad axial ribs and 5 spiral 

cords. Sutures dee.ply e.xca,Tated, wavy. Body whorl 

sculptured by coarse axial folds and 12 or more spiral 

cords separated by narrmv interspaces. Basal fossa 

separated anteriorly frmn siphonal fasciole by strong 

spiral cord and groove. Apertural lip varieose e.xternally, denticulate within. Very thick, narrow parietal 

callus bearing a posterior plait and a single denticle 

above the spiral fold at the base of the colun1ella. Base 

of aperture subtruneate. 

Height i .2 mm, width 4.3 mm (type) . 

Holotype: USNM 648578. 

Type locality: USGS Cenozoic loc. M15H7. In abandoned 

roadbed at mouth of small gully, 1,300 ft S., 350 ft ,V. from 

NE1 cor. sec. 5, T. 29 S., R. 29 E,., Oil Center quadrangle. Upper 

part of Olcese Sand of Diepenbrock (1933), middle Mioeene. 

This species differs from the knmvn eastern Paeifie 

nassariids ineluded in Oatilon by its distinetive sculpture, extremely thick yet narrow parietal eallus, and 

wavy, deeply excavated sutures. On the three available 

specimens, all from the type loeality, there seems to be 

eonsiderable variation in spiral sculpture. A fragnlentary speeimen has wellformecl secondary spiral threads 

on the body whorl. The axial folds beeome obsolete on 

the lower half of the body \vhorl. Na8sarius srnwoti 

most nearly resmnble.s N. arnoldi, with whieh it oeeurs 

at the type locality. 

Occurrence: Upper part of Olcese Sand of Diepenbrock 

(1933), middle Miocene, Kern River area, Kern County, Calif. 

Nassarius (Catilon1) antiselli (Anderson and Martin) 

Plate 3, figures 13, 1-i 

Na.<?:w anti.'lelli Anderson and Martin, 1914, California Aead. Sci. 

Proc., ser. 4, v. 4, p. 76-77, pl. 7, fig. 16. 

Na88ariu.s pabloensis (Clark). Clark, 19,29, Stratigraphy and 

faunal horizons o.f the Coast Ranges of California, pl. 34, 

fig. 13. 

H olotype: CAS 165. 

Type locality: CAS loc. 126, in the bed of a small creek near 

the center of sec. 34, T. 28 S., R. 15 E., San Luis Obispo County, 

Calif., Middle .Miocene. 

N((s8al'tzt8 antiselli is a small, rather slender species 

characterized by eoarsely papillose sculpture, a very 

weak basal fossa, and fewer spiral cords than in similar 

species from the J\fioeene of the Pacific coast. There. 

are three spiral cords on the penultimate whorl of the 

type specimen and 8 on the body \vhorl. It differs in 

this re.spe.et from N. arnoldi, with which it sometimes 

occurs, '"hieh has 4 or 5 spirals on the. penultimate 

whorl and 10-13 on the body whorl. 

'The coarse. sculpture and rather slender profile of 

N. antiselli might be taken to suggest a link with the. 

early Miocene species, N. clzriU'clvi (Hertlein), but specinlens of the latter are insufficient to permit more than 

speeulation as to possible relationships. 

This middle Miocene spe.eie.s is questionably placed in 

O:atilon because of the lack of a well-defined basal fossa 

and the uncertainty of the apertural characteristics. 

Clark (1929, pl. 34, fig. 13) reproduced Anderson 

and l\fa.rtin's original figure of N assa antiselli (1914, 

pl. 7, fig. 16) as N assarius pablo ens is (Clark) . 

Range: Middle Miocene. 

Occzu·1·ence: Monterey Group or Monterey Shale: Sonoma 

County and northern Contra Costa County, Calif. (Weaver, 

1949)!; Sobrante Sandstone, Contra Costa County, Calif. 

(Weaver, 1953) .

4 Temblor Formation, La Panza Range, San 

Luis Obispo County, Calif. (Anderson and Martin, 1914). 

Branch Canyon Formation and Saltos Shale Member of the 

Monterey Formation (Hill and others, 19.38), Caliente Range, 

San Luis Obispo County, Calif. (Repenning and Vedder, 1961). 

Round Mountain Silt of Diepenbrock (1933), Kern River area, 

Calif. (Keen, 1943) . 

Nassarius (Catilon) pabloensis (Clark) 

Plate 3, figures 22-25 

Nas8a pabloensi8 Clark, 1915, California Univ., Dept. Geology 

Bull., v. 8, p. 493.-494, pl. 65, figs. 8, 9. 

Nassariu8 pabloensis (Clark). Clark, 1929, Stratigraphy and 

faunal horizons of the Coast Ranges of California, pl. 34, 

fig. 17, not fig. 13. 

Holotype: UOMP 11637. 

Type locality: UCMP loc. 1947, south side of highest hill south 

of and parallel to Shell Ridge, southeast of the town of Walnut 

Creek, alt 500 .ft, Concord quadrangle, Contra Costa County, 

Calif. Upper part of San Pablo Group, late Mioeene. 

Na88ariu.s pabloen8i8 is a slender, high-spired nassariid of medium size. It has equally strong spiral and 

axial sculpture that va.ries from coarsely cancellate to 

nodose. The body whorl eommonly has nine spiral 

eorcls. 

4 These occurrences have not been verified and may possibly be misidentifications of Nassarius whitneyi (Trask), a locally abundant species 

in middle Miocene strata in this part of central California. 
B14 CONTRIBlJ'l'IONS TO PALEONTOLOGY 

This species is similar to son1e of the high-spired I This species has been recognized in two localities in 

variants of Nassarius anderson/ ('\Veaver) from the the eastern part of .the Ventura basin, Calif. The type 

Quinault Formation of wt>ste1~1 "':V ashington (pl. 0l locality of N assrrrius stocki occurs in a unit that has 

figs. 17, 18). It is, however, generally more slender been recently mapped as the Towsley Formation by 

and lacks the tabulate whorl profile of the northern ,Jahns and l\iuehlberger (1954). The age of the Towsspecies. From N. iniqu•us ( StPwart), a Pliocene species ley Formation in this area is early Pliocene based 

from central California, it can be readily differentiatt>d upon the record of Trophosycon ocoyana var. and 

by its finer sculpture and well-rounded, nontabulate Patinopecten lohri that Grant and Gale (1931, p. 30) 

whorls. Some large specimens from the Santa ~Iarga- reported from exposures on the first ridge west of the 

rita Formation at Comanche Point, l{enl County, type locality of N. stocki. 

Calif., have 10 spirals and a deeply excavated interspace 

between the two uppermost cords (pl. 3, fig. 24). 

The suggested inclusion of this species and Nassarht8 

a,ndeJ'soni in the synony1ny of N. antiselli (Anderson 

Range: Upper Miocene to lower Pliocene. 

Oceurrcnce: Upper Miocene: Castaic Formation of Crowell 

( 1955) , eastern Ventura basin, California.5 Lower Pliocene : 

Pico [Towsley] Formation (Kanakoff, 1956), eastern Ventura 

and Martin) (Grant and Gale, 1931, p. 678), a species basin, California. 

questionably included in the subgenus Oatilon, can be 

disregarded. N. antiselli has only a vague indication 

of a basal fossa, virtually no si phonal fasciole, and very 

coarsely nodose sculpture very different from that of 

eithe,r N. pabloerusis or N. andersoni. In view of this 

treatment, it seems probable that Gale's identification 

(in Preston, 1931, p. 16) of "l'.,TassaPius ( Uz-ita) antiselli 

(Anderson and Martin) (pab7oensis Clark)" from well 

cores of the Santa Margarita Formation near Bakersfield, Calif., is in fact, N. pabloensi8. 

Range: Upper Miocene. 

Occurrence: Upper part of San Pablo Group (Clark, 1915), 

or Neroly Formation (Weaver, 1949), northern Contra Costa 

County, Calif. Santa Margarita F'ormation: well cores from 

Fruitvale oil field, Bakersfield, Calif. (Gale in Preston, 19'31) ; 

Comanche Point, Kern County, Oalif. (Addicott and Vedder, 

1963). 

Nassarius (Catilon) stocki Kanako1f 

Plate 3, figures 4, 5 

N assm·ius stocki Kanakoff, 1956, Southern California Acad. 

'Sci. Bull., v. 55, p. 110-112, pl. 30, figs. A-C. 

Holotypc: LAC::\HP 1109. 

Type locality: LAOMIP loc. 29'1, gully in center of the Slh 

sec. 27, T. 4 N., R. 15 W., exactly one-half mile south of Humphreys Station of the Southern Pacific RR., Los Angeles County, 

Calif. Pico Formation [=Towsley Formation (Jahns and 

Muehlberger, 1954)] early Plioc,ene. 

This Slnall, stout speeies is characterized by a wellrounded body whorl, short spire, and evenly cancellate 

sculpture. There is a narrow excavated area at the 

base of the whorl:s of the spire. 

N assari-u8 stocki seems to he n1ost similar to the middle 

Miocene N. arnoldi (Anderson) but it differs frmn that 

species by having only nine spiral cords on the body 

whorl and by having four fine denticles on the parietal 

eallus which characteristieally occur as anterior and 

posterior pairs (l{anakoff, 1956, p. 111). A species 

that has been named N. hildegardae l{anakoff (1956) 

(pl. 3, figs. 11, 12) from the same locality may be a 

slender, high-spired variant of this species. 

Nassarius (Catilon) andersoni (Weaver) 

Plate 3, figures 16--18 

Nassaritts andersoni Weaver, 1912, Washington Geol. Survey 

Bull. 15, p. 75, pl. 6, fig. 56. 

N as8arius ( H ima) ande1·soni (Weaver). Etherington, 1931, 

California Univ., Dept. Geol. Sci. Bull., v. 20, p. 100, pl. 

12, figs. 4, 16. 

Nassarius ande1·soni (Weaver). Weaver, 1942, Washington 

Univ. Pub. Geology, v. 5, p. 461-462, pl. 89, figs. 15-18. 

Holotype: UW 75. 

Tzme locality: UW loc. 117, in bank of 'Vishkah River, sec. 

30, T. 20 N., R. 8 W., Grays Harbor County, Wash. (locality 

occurs in area mapped as Montesano Formation by Weaver 

( 1916) and as undifferentiated Miocene-Pliocene on the W,ashington State Geologic Map, 1961). 

Nrrssarius rmdenwni is characterized by strongly reticulate sculpture, tabulate ·whorls, usually nine spiral 

ribs on the body whorl, and ·an ovate aperture. The 

holotype and species figured by Etherington ( 1931, pl. 

12, figs. 4, 16) are moderately low !Spired and vary from 

nodose to evenly cancellate in sculpture. Other specimens from the Quinault Formation of western Washington (pl. 3, figs. 17, 18) are moderately high spired 

and eharacte.ristieally have rather coarse axial ribs. The 

spMies frmn the type section of the ·Quinault Form·ation between Point Grenville and the Quinault River 

has been ineorrectly identified as N. mendlCU8 (Gould) 

by Arnold and Hannibal (1913, p. 594) and as N. 

arnold/ (Anderson) by Weaver (1916, p. 216). It 

differs from these species by having a subsutural tabulation, only nine spiral ribs on the body whorl, ·and, 

in the specimen identified as N. 1nendicus, a varicose 

a pert ural lip. 

Similar late Miocene and early Pliocene species from 

California, such as N assarius pabloem,is and N. hildeptrPdae, also haTe nine spiral ribs on the body whorl but 

ean be differentiated from N. andersoni by thei,r evenly 

5 Stanton, R. J., Jr., 1960, Paleoecology of the Upper Miocene Castaic 

Formation, Los Angeles County, California: California Inst. Technology, 

Pasadena, Ph. D. Thesis, 3321 p. 
SOME ·wESTERN AMERICAN CENOZOIC GASTROPODS OF THE GENUS NA.SSARIUS B15 

rounded, nontabulate whorls and generally 1nore 

slender, higher spired shells. 

Until a definitive investigation of the molluscan biostratigraphy of 'Veaver's Montesano Formation (1912) 

and related strat~a of presume.d late Miocene to Pliocene 

age in western 'Vashington is made, the chronologicst,ratigraphic range of N asrw·rius andersoni will remain 

uncertain. As far as is known, this species has not been 

collected from the lowermost conglomeratic sandstones 

of the type Montesano Formation in the AberdeenMontesano area. The fauna from this part of the 

:formation has stronger affinities to the middle Miocene 

1nollusean :fauna of the Astoria Formation than to 

Pliocene mollusks of the Empire Formation 6 o:f Oregon 

and therefore is tentatively considered. to be late 

Miocene. Collections that are presumed, however, to 

be stratigraphically higher in the Montesano Formation, such as those :from the Wishkah River in the vicinity o:f the type locality of N. andersoni, have many 

species in common with the Empire Formation and, accordingly, have been classified as Pliocene.7 Inasmuch 

as the known occurrences of N. andersoni seem to be 

from strata above the basal sandstone beds, the 1range is 

tentatively considered to be Pliocene. 

An incomplete external n1old o:f a small N assarius 

in a beach stone collected by George Moore (loc. AMe 

62-154) :from the northern part of Chiriko:f Island, 

southwestern Alaska, is tentatively referred to this 

species. It has the slightly angulated body whorl, 

similar sculpture, and the same number of spiral ribs 

as specimens o:f N. a.nderson£ from the Quinault Formation of western Washington. It cannot be classified, 

however, subgenerically because the apertural side is 

missing. I:f, as seems most likely, the Alaskan speciInen is correctly assigned to 0 atilon, then it is the 

northernmost occurrence of the subgenus in Cenozoic 

strata of Western North America. 

Range: Pliocene? 

Occurrence: Pliocene?, Montesano Formation, Grays Harbor 

County, Wash. (Weaver, 1912, 1916; Etherington, 1931) ; Quinault Formation, Jefferson County, Wash., (USGS Cenozoic loc. 

M1827). Beach stone of unknown age, Ohirikof Island, Alaska 

(collected by George Moore, loc. AMe 62--154) . 

Nassarius (Catilon) hamlini (Arnold) 

Plate 3, figures 20, 21 

Nassa hamlini Arnold, 1907, U.S. Natl. Museum Proc., v. 32, 

p. 537-538, pl. 50, fig. 9. 

6 The molluscan fauna of the Empire Formation was considered Pliocene by Howe ( 1922), an age that has been generally accepted by subsequent investigators. 7 Nassarius andersoni occurs in the basal sandstone beds of the type 

section of the Quinault Formation immediately north of Point Grenville. Foraminifera that have been classified as Pliocene by Cushman 

and others (194.9) are from localities higher in the section. 

Eldridge and Arnold, 1907, U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 309, 

pl. 40, fig. 9. 

''NaJ<8a" hamlini Arnold. Woodring, 1938, U.S. Geol. Survey 

Prof. Paper 190, p. 25--26, pl. 5, fig. 16. 

Holotype: USNM 164946. 

Type locality: USGS loc. 3426, Third Street tunnel, Lo·s Angeles, Oalif. Repetto Formation of common usage, early 

Pliocene. 

This species can be readily distinguished from other 

late Cenozoic nassariids of the subgenus Oatilon by its 

blunt apex and its prominent, widely spaced axial ribs 

that are nearly vertical. The spiral ribs are much subdued; they number 10 or 11 on the body whorl of most 

specimens and are 1nuch more closely spaced than the 

sharp axial ribs. 

Range: Lower Pliocene. 

Occtwrerwe: Towsley Formation and Pico Formation, eastern 

Ventura basin, California <'Vinterer and Durham, 1962). 

~epetto Formation, Los Angeles Basin, Calif. (Arnold, 1907b; 

Woodring, 1938). Unnamed sandstone (Vedder and others, 

1957) , east of the N arro,-vs, Newport Bay, Calif. (USGS Cenozoic loc. M1921). 

Nassarius (Catilon 1) salinasensis Addicott, n. sp. 

Plate 3, figures 30, 31 

Shell of medium size, moderately high spired. Nuclear whorls missing. Whorls of spire gently convex, 

sculptured by about four straplike spiral ribs and random secondaries. Suture impressed, subtabulate on 

later whorls. Body whorl sculptured by sinuous axial 

folds of variable strength that become obsolete toward 

base. Spiral sculpture of 14 or more irregularly alternating straplike ribs. Base bordered by well-formed 

fossa. Siphonal fasciole sculptured by three strong 

cords. Aperture missing. 

Height (incomplete) 16.9 mm, width 9.6 mm. 

Holotype: USNM 648597. 

Type locality: USGS Cenozoic loc. M977. On south side of 

Pancho Rico Creek, 100 ft N., 3,100 ft W. of SE cor. sec. 11, 

T. 22 S., R. 10 E., San Ardo quadrangle, Monterey Oounty, Calif. 

Type Pancho Rico Formation, early Pliocene. 

N a8sarhts salinasensis is represented by three incomplete specimens from the type locality. All are external molds frmn which latex rubber casts have been 

prepared. Although the apertural characteristics are 

preserved in none of the specimens, this species is tentatively assigned to Oatilon on the basis of the varicose 

outer lip of one specimen (pl. 3, fig. 31). 

The sculpture of irregular straplike spiral cords upon 

which are superimposed broad, sinuous axial :folds is 

unique among the known late Cenozoic nassariids o:f 

the Pacific coast. Considerable variation in the number and arrangement of spiral cords and the strength 

of axial folds is suggested by the. three specimens :from 

the type locality. 
B16 CONTRIBUTIO~S TO PALEONTOLOGY 

This species occurs with an early Pliocene 1nolluscan 

assemblage that includes Turritella cooperi~ T. 1Xtnt'leck~i. Fon'eria belcheri. Oaliranthar1t8 kettlemJtnensis, 

Ostren atwoodi, Lyropecten termln'Uf.i, and other species. 

Occurrence: Pancho Rico Formation, early Pliocene, Paneho 

Rieo Creek, Monterey County, Calif. 

Nassarius (Catilon) hildegarda.e Kanakoff 

Plate 3, figures 11, 12 

N as sari-us hildegardae Kanakoff, 1956, Southern California 

Acad. Sci. Bull., v. 55, p. 112-113, pl. 31 (two views). 

H olotypc: L.ACMIP 1110. 

Type localit11: LACMIP loe. 291. gully in centt>r of the Sl;2 

se-c. 27, T. 4 N., R. 15 W., exactly one-half mile south of Humphreys Station of the Southern Pacific Railroad, Los Angeles 

County, Calif. Pico Formation [=Towsley Formation (Jahns 

and Muehlberger, 1954) ] , early Pliocene. 

This small, slender nassariid is known only fron1 the 

type locality at which it occurs ,vith N assarius stocki 

(I{anakoff). Although smaller and somewhat higher 

spired than N. stocki, it has the sa1ne number of spiral 

cords on the body whorl, nine, and a similar whorl profile. In view of the known variation in spi~re height 

of other species of Nas.rw1·hus, there is a strong possibility that N. hildeg{trdae should be treated as a highspired variant of N. stocki. 

Occurrenee: Pieo [=Towsley] Formation, early Plioeene, eastern Ventura basin, California (Kanak off, 1956). 

Nassarius (Catilon) iniquus (Stewart) 

Plate 3, figure 6 

Na8sa califor·nfa,na (Conrad). Arnold, 1910, U.S. Geol. Survey 

Bull. 396, p. 160, pl. 27, fig. 8. Figure reprinted in Arnold 

and Anderson, 1910, U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 398, p. 334, 

pl. 49, fig. 8. Figure reproduced in Roberts, 1927, California Oil Fields, v. 12, no.10, pl. 3, fig. 1. 

Nas8ariu8 (Uzita) arnoldi (Anderson) var. whitneyi (Trask) 

Grant and Gale, 1931. San Diego Soc. Nat. History Mem., 

v. 1, p. 679, pl. 26, figs. 48a, b. 

"Na88a'' ml8cr (Dall) var. iniqua, Stewart in ~Woodring. Stewart, 

and Richards, 1940. U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 165, 

p. 87, pl. 34, fig. 8. 

Holotype: USNM 495836. 

Type localitu: eSGS loe. 1-!129, below road west of El Tolete, 

BOO ft northwest of USGS loe. 14131 (1,200 ft ~ .. 1,840 ft "~.from 

SE cor. see. 7, T. 22 S., R. 18 E., MDB&M, Kettleman Hills, 

Calif.), Patinopecten zone, Etchegoin Formation, Pliocene. 

The body whorl of N assaritts iniq1..tU-B is sculptured by 

seven coarsely papillose spiral cords. Occasional specimens have eight spirals. The summits of the whorls 

are tabulate, and there is a deep spi1ral fossa at the base 

of the body whorl. Other species of Oa.tilon from the 

late Miocene and Pliocene of California and Washington are n1uch more delicately sculptured than N. iniquus 

and have a larger number of spiral ribs. 

A Pliocene nassariid from a well core nea.r Tipton, 

Calif., figured by Grant and Gale ( 1931, pl. 26, figs. 

48a, b) as N assarius arnoldi var. 1..ohitneyi (Trask) has 

the tabulate whorl profile and sculpture of N. iniquus 

and is here included in the >synonymy of this species. 

It need not be compared with N. rwhitneyi, a species 

that has been incorrectly diagnosed as having a varicose 

outer lip. The suggested varietal relationship with N. 

arnoldi seems doubtful in view of the thick, coarsely 

papillose shell which is characteristic of N. iniquus. 

A variant of N assarius iniquus occurs in a collection 

of early Pliocene mollusks frmn Elsmere Canyon, Los 

Angeles County, Calif. (C. M. Carson Colln., SU). 

These specimens are more weakly noded and considerably more elongate than is typical of N. iniquus. 

The varietal relationship to N assarius rniser (Dall) 

suggested by Stewart (in W oodrjng and others, 1940) 

is doubtful. The bathymetric range of that species, 

140-320 fathoms (Keen, 1958, p. 410), is not compatible 

with the rela:tively shallow water 'aspect of molluscan 

assemblages of the Etehegoin Formation in which N. 

ini qt~;us occurs. 

Range: Pliocene. 

Occurrence: Etchegoin Formation: Alcalde Canyon south of 

Coalinga, Calif. (Arnold, 1909) ; Kettleman Hills (Woodring and 

others, 1940) , well core near Tipton, Calif. (Grant and Gale, 

1931) ; Diablo Range, San Benito quadrangle ( UCMP colln.), 

Towsley (?) Formation, Elsmere Canyon, Los Angeles County 

(C. M. Carson Colln., loc. 16; SU). 

SUBGENUS1 

Nassarius ocoyanus (Anderson and Martin) 

Plate 3, figures 19, 26-28 

Na88a ocoyana Anderson and Martin, 1914, California Acad. Sci. 

Proc., ser. 4, v. 4, p. 75-76, pl. 7, fig.17; 

?Na88n blaJwi Anderson and Martin, 1914, California Acad. Sci. 

Proc., ser. 4, v. 4, p. 76, pl. 7, figs. 15a, b. 

Nassari-us ocoyanu.'3 is a distinctive but variable species of rare occurrence at a few middle Miocene localities in California. The turreted spire is sculptured by 

coarse axial folds. The body whorl is slender and has 

relatively s1nooth, parallel sides. Most specimens have 

\veak spiral cords on the anterior and posterior shoulders of the body whorl. On smne individuals there are 

faint axial folds on the uppermost part of the body 

whorl. The basal fossa is broad and nearly obsolete on 

most specimens. The aperture is bordered internally 

by a thick parietal callus bearing a spiral plait anterior 

to the strong posterior notch. There are weak denticles 

within the varicose outer lip on at least one specimen. 

Holotype: CAS 163. 

Type locality: CAS loc. 64, in bottom of small creek, 11,4 miles 

due north from Barker's Ranch House (near top of Olcese Sand 
SOME 'VESTERN Al\IERICAN CENOZOIC GASTROPODS OF THE GENUS NASSAR/US B17 

of Diepenbrock ( 1933), middle :\Iiocene). Probably in SE% sec. 

31, T. 28 S., R. 29 E., Oil Oenter quadrangle, California. 

Holotypc of "Na.ssa" blakei.: CAS 180. 

Type localiftt: CAS loc. 65, on west bank of small canyon 11,4 

miles northeast of Barker's Ranch House (near top of Olcese 

Sand of Diepenbrock ( 1933 ) , middle :Miocene) . 

This species appears to sho'v considerable variation 

in the height of the spire and inflation of the whorls. 

The body ·whorl profile varies from gently convex to 

parallel sided in specimens from lTCMP locality B1637 

near the top of the Olcese Sand. Specimens from 

Diepenbrock's ( 1933) overlying Round Mountain Silt, 

UCMP locality B1639, which are smnewhat abraded 

and mildly deformed, have parallel to concave sides. 

The degree of variation in whorl profile and spire 

height seems to be sufficient enough to include N assarius 

blake,i (Anderson and Martin, 191±, p. 76, pl. 7, figs. 

15a, b), a low-spired species described from a single 

specimen, as a synonym. N. blak:ei was colleeted from 

a locality less than a mile southeast of the type loc.ality 

of N. ocoyan1N3 and is frmn approximately the same 

stratigraphic position. 

Range: Middle Miocene. 

Occurrence: Round Mountain Silt and upper part of Olcese 

Sand of Diepenbrock ( 1933), Kern River district, California. 

Temblor Formation, eastern San Luis Obispo County, Oalif. 

( Loel and Corey, 1932). Saltos Shale l\lember of the Monterey 

Formation (Hill and others, 1958), Caliente Range, eastern San 

Luis Obispo County (USGS Colln.). 

LOCALITY DESCRIPTIONS 

WASHINGTON LOCALITIES 

USGS Cenozoic locality: 

M1496. Cut on south side of logging road at topographic saddle 

west of small hill near EX cor. SE~~ sec. 23, T. 17 N., 

R. 7 W., Montesano quadrangle. Astoria Formation, 

middle Miocene. Collected by H. D. Gower and 

W. 0. Addicott, 1962. 

M1514. 1,800 ft W., 2,700 ft S. of NE. cor. sec. 1, T. 16 N., 

R. 8 W., Montesano quadrangle. Immediately 

below top of Lincoln Formation of Weaver (1912), 

middle Miocene. Collected by H. D. Gower, 1959. 

M1545. Cut on south side of Still Creek logging road, 2,200 ft 

W., 400ft N. of SE. cor. sec. 5, T. 18 N., R. 7 W., 

Wynoochee Valley quadrangle. Montesano Formation of Weaver (1912), Pliocene(?). Collected by 

W. 0. Addicott, 1962. 

:\11827. Sea cliff exposure on beach north of Point Grenville, 

3,450 ft W., 1,250 ft S. of NE. cor. sec. 13, T. 21 N ., 

R. 13 W., Taholah quadrangle. Quinault Formation, Pliocene. Collected by W. 0. Addicott, 1962. 

OREGON LOCALITIES 

USGS Cenozoic locality: 

18284. Dredgings from ship channel between mile 3.5 and 

mile 4.0, Coos Bay, Oreg., deposited northwest of 

the channel alongside of North Spit opposite Cape 

Arago Pulp Mill, about 17~ miles southwest of 

Empire, Oreg. Miocene. Collected by E. J. Moore, 

1949-54. 

18907. Shale and siltstone exposed in beach at low tide just 

south of Yaquina Head, Yaquina quadrangle. 

Astoria Formation, middle Miocene. Collected by 

M. P. James, 1953. 

Uni1,ersity of Washington (UW) locality: 

691. Stratified medium-grained sandstone exposed on beach 

on south side of Yaquina Head, 5~~ miles (3~ miles) 

north of entrance to Yaquina Bay, Lincoln County. 

Astoria Formation, middle Miocene. 

California Academy of Sciences (CAS) locality: 

39. Sea cliff immediately south of N ye Beach and a short 

distance north of entrance to Yaquina Bay, Lincoln 

County. Astoria Formation, middle Miocene. 

CALIFORNIA LOCALITIES 

f)SGS Cenozoic locality: 

M979. Pancho Rico Creek east of San Ardo, 700 ft S., 1,200 ft 

W. of NE. cor. sec. 15, T. 22 S., R. 10 E., San Ardo 

quadrangle. Type area of the Pancho Rico Formation, early Pliocene. Collected by D. L. Durham, 

1960. 

M982. Cut on west side of U.S. Route 101, 150 ft N., 2,525 

ft W. of SE. cor. sec. 25, T. 23 S., R. 10 E., 

Wunpost quadrangle. Pancho Rico Formation, 

early Pliocene. Collected by Vedder and Repenning, 1960; Vedder and Addicott, 1963. 

M996. Pine Creek east of San Lucas, 900 ft S., 150 ft E. of 

NW. cor. sec. 15, T. 21 S., R. 10 E., San Ardo quadrangle. Pancho Rico Formation, early Pliocene. 

Collected by Charles Rice. 

M1017. Marine terrace deposit now covered by houses, approximately 19,850 ft N., 19,750 ft W. of SE. cor. Laguna 

Beach quadrangle (1949 ed.) or approximately 

1,125 ft east-northeast of Abalone Point triangulation 

station. Late Pleistocene. Alt 5Q-60 ft. Collected 

by J. G. Vedder, 1954. 

M1455. Cut on west side of San Antonio River road, 2,975 ft 

N., 650 ft E. of SW. cor. sec. 36, T. 23 S., R. 8 E., 

Williams Hill quadrangle. Pancho Rico Formation, 

early Pliocene. Collected by D. L. Durham, 1962. 

M1597. 1,300 ft S., 350 ft W. of NE. cor. sec. 5, T. 29 S., R. 

29 E., Oil Center quadrangle. Upper part of the 

Olcese Sand of Diepenbrock (1933), middle Miocene. 

Collected by W. 0. Addicott, 1962. Same as UCMP 

loc. B1598. 

M1619. Near head of second Ely-trending gully due north of 

Hill 1039, in NW~~SW~~ sec. 24, T. 32 S., R. 29 E., 

Arvin 7~~-minute quadrangle. Santa Margarita 

Formation, late Miocene. Collected by J. G. Vedder 

and W. 0. Addicott, 1962, 1963. 

M1661. Large cut in hillside 950 ft S. 61° W. of intersection of 

Junipero Serra Boulevard and Arroyo Drive, 

1,434,850 ft E., 423,600 ft N. (California coordinate 

system, zone 3), San Francisco South quadrangle. 

Merced Formation, late Pliocene. Collected by 

M. G. Bonilla and G. 0. Gates, 1962. 

M1690. Sea cliff exposure of upper Pleistocene marine terrace 

deposit above small sandy beach 0.5 mile eastnortheast of Point Aiio Nuevo and 1,100 ft south 

of road head shown on map, in projected T. 9 S., 

R. 4 W., Aiio Nuevo quadrangle. Collected by W. 0. 

Addicott, 1962. 
B18 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY 

M1715. Cut and pipeline trench on north side of Arastradero 

Road, 1,200 ft west of intersection with Page Mill 

Road, Palo Alto 77~-minute quadrangle. Merced(?) 

Formation, late Pliocene. Collected by E. H. 

Pampeyan, J. G. Vedder, and W. 0. Addicott, 1963. 

M 1717. Cut in hillside at northernmost edge of Santa Barbara 

County dump on south side of Foothill Boulevard 

approximately 1,000 ft due west of entrance to 

Federated Sportsmans Field and three-fourths of a 

mile west of intersection of Foothill Boulevard and 

State Highway 150, Goleta quadrangle. Santa 

Barbara Formation, late Pliocene. Collected by 

W. 0. Addicott, 1963. 

M1720. Cut on south side of highest building site for American 

Institute for Research buildings on southwest side 

of Arastradero Road, 2,200 ft due east of intersection 

with Alpine Road, Palo Alto 7%-minute quadrangle. 

Merced(?) Formation, late Pliocene. Collected by 

M. Crittenden and W. 0. Addicott, 1962. 

M1723. "New lumber yard" across from Sun Lumber Co., 

1800A Wilmington Road, San Pedro, Calif. Palos 

Verdes Sand, late Pleistocene. Collected. by Mark 

Rogers. 

M1728. Arnold's lumber yard locality (1903) on Harbor Boulevard, San Pedro, Calif. Palos Verdes Sand, late 

Pleistocene. Collected by Mark Rogers. 

M1733. Cut on north side of Highway 101, 6,000 ft westnorthwest of east boundary of Rancho Canada de 

San Miguelito. West edge of exposure is due north 

of BM 26, east edge truncated by Pleistocene terrace 

gravels, Ventura 7%-minute quadrangle. Saugus 

Formation, early Pleistocene. Collected by W. 0. 

Addicott and J. G. Vedder, 1962. 

M1805. Cut on south side of Riverside Road approximately 

6,000 ft east-southeast of Chittenden Station, San 

Juan Bautista 15-minute quadrangle. Purisima 

Formation, Pliocene. Collected by W. 0. Addicott, 

1962. Probably same as UCMP loc. 1766. 

M1918. Cut on west side of Fairview Road immediately north 

of high-angle reverse fault, 1,050 ft S., 100 ft E., of 

of NW. cor. of Rancho La Goleta land grant, Goleta 

quadrangle. Santa Barbara Formation, late Pliocene. 

Collected by W. 0. Addicott, 1963. 

M1921. Near base of bluff on east side of Palisades Road, 

2,625 ft SE., 2,975 ft of NE. cor. Irvine block 52, 

Newport Beach quadrangle (1951 ed.). Alt about 

15 ft. Unnamed sandstone of Pliocene age. Collected by J. G. Vedder, 1954. 

M1922. On southwest side of northwest-trending gully near 

intersection of State Highway 55 and U.S. Highway 

101 alt., 2,150 ft E., 1,875 ft S. of NW. cor. sec. 28, 

T. 6 S., R. 10 W., Newport Beach quadrangle (1951 

ed.). Palos Verdes Sand, late Pleistocene. Collected 

by J. G. Vedder, 1961. 

M1923. Concretionary bed 3,025 ft S., 850 ft W. of NE. cor. 

sec. 30, T. 11 N., R. 26 W., Wells Ranch quadrangle 

(1954 ed.). Saltos Shale Member of Monterey 

Formation (Hill and others, 1958), middle Miocene. 

Alt about 2,850 feet. Collected by J. G. Vedder, 

1960. 

4758. Bed C near top of section at Henry Spring, 4 miles 

south-southwest of Coalinga, on east side of 1,900-foot 

hill in SW}i sec. 18, T. 21 S., R. 15 E. Etchegoin 

Formation, Pliocene. Collected by Ralph Arnold 

and Robert Anderson. 

12359. Arroyo Degollado, North Dome, Kettleman Hills, 

320 ft S., 780 ft W. of NE. cor. sec. 22, T. 22 S., 

R. 18 E. Pecten zone and Trachycardium zone of 

the San Joaquin Formation, Pliocene. Collected 

by Ralph Stewart. 

USN M Catalog Number: 

101721. Pleistocene [Pliocene], Santa Barbara, Calif. Stearns 

colln. 

University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, 

( U C M P) local£ty: 

1549. Exposures on beach south of Bolinas, Marin County, 

Calif. Merced Formation, late Pliocene. 

7033. On east bank of Russian River at Wilson Ranch, 3~ 

miles southwest of Windsor, Sonoma County, Calif. 

Merced Formation, Pliocene. 

7071. In creek bottom 17~ miles north of mouth of canyon 

located 1 mile east of Harmon Canyon, Santa Paula 

quadrangle. Saugus Formation, early Pleistocene(?). 

Collected by L. N. Waterfall. 

7078. From about %-mile zone extending northward from 

mouth of first large canyon east of Ventura River, 

located at head of Kalorama Street, Ventura, Calif., 

Ventura quadrangle. Saugus Formation, early 

Pleistocene(?). Collected by L. N. Waterfall. 

7091. Artificial cut in low ridge near SW cor. sec. 34, T. 3 N., 

R. 21 W., Ventura County. Saugus Formation, early 

Pleistocene(?). Collected by L. N. Waterfall. 

7092. Second ridge east of farmhouse on south side of South 

Mountain near NW cor. sec. 3, T. 2 N., R. 21 W., 

Ventura County. Saugus Formation, early Pleistocene(?). Collected by L. N. Waterfall. 

A1304. Roadcut in Alcalde Canyon, southwest of Coalinga, in 

SEXSE7~ sec. 7, T. 21 S., R. 15 E., Glycymeris zone 

of the Etchegoin Formation, Pliocene. 

A3166. "Merriarnaster coalingensis zone" in NWX sec. 8, T. 22 

S., R. 18 E., La Cima quadrangle, San Joaquin 

Formation, Pliocene. 

A4920. In large rock quarry 1 mile south of Pacheco, 1,400 ft W., 

200 ft S., of junction of quarry road with Pacheco 

Boulevard, Concord quadrangle. Briones Sandstone, 

late Miocene. Collected by G. C. Lutz. 

A4925. In subcanal 30 ft west of main canal at point where 

canal swings eastward to bypass small hill, Concord 

quadrangle (locality subsequently covered by concrete). Sobrante Formation of Lutz (1951), middle 

Miocene. Collected by G. C. Lutz. 

B1639. Polinices biostrome 31 ft stratigraphically below B1613, 

SWXSE% sec. 26, T. 28 S., R. 29 E., Caliente quadrangle. Round Mountain Silt of Diepenbrock (1933), 

middle Miocene. Collected by W. 0. Addicott, 

1954. 

B4739. One and seven-tenths miles north of northeast end of 

spillway 456, Lafayette Reservoir and 1, 700 ft north 

of intersection of Happy Valley Road and Panorama 

Drive, Briones quadrangle (1949 ed.). Alt 925 ft. 

San Pablo Formation, late Miocene. Collected by 

G. I. Doumani. 

B4749. Two and one-fourth miles north of northwest e:rid of spillway 

456, Lafayette Reservoir below the 1,345-foot peak 

on Lafayette Ridge, Briones quadrangle (1949 ed.). 

Alt 1,250 ft. Lower part of Briones Sandstone, late 

Miocene. Collected by G. I. Doumani. 
SOME ·wESTERN AMERICAN CENOZOIC GASTROPODS OF THE GENUS NA.SSARI[TS B19 

B4810. Exposures in long landslide on Seven Mile Beach, about 

2,000 ft N. 75° W. of intersection of Alemany Boulevard and Skyline Boulevard, San Francisco South 

quadrangle (1947 ed.). Upper part of the type 

Merced Formation, early Pleistocene. Collected by 

William Glen, 1957. 

B7642. Railroad-cut 2,011-2,219 ft southwest of Nanning 

Creek crossing, between 2,163 ft and 2,309 ft stratigraphically above the base of the Rio Dell Formation 

(2,142-2,288 ft below top of Rio Dell Formation), 

Scotia quadrangle (1951 ed.). Rio Dell Formation 

of Ogle (1953), Pliocene. Collected by W. Faustman, 

Jr., 1960. 

California Academy of Sciences (CAS) locality: 

36827. Gully in center of S7~ sec. 27, T. 4 N., R. 1 5 W ., half a 

mile south of Humphreys Station, Los Angeles 

County, Pico Formation [=Towsley Formation], 

early Pliocene. Collected by G. P. Kanakoff, 1954. 

Same as LACMIP loc. 291. 

Los Angeles County Museum, Invertebrate Paleontology 

(LACM IP) locality: 

59. Immediately south of point where Lincoln Avenue 

crosses the Los Angeles Outfall Sewer, about 2 miles 

northeast of Playa Del Rey, Los Angeles County. 

Palos Verdes Sand, late Pleistocene. Collected by 

George Willett, 1935, 1936. 

219. Gully in center of S% sec. 27, T. 4 N., R. 15 W., onehalf mile south of Humphreys Station, Los Angeles 

County. Pico ][ormation [ Towsley Formation], 

early Pliocene. Collected by G. P. Kanakoff, 1954. 

BRITISH COLUMBIA LOCALITY 

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) locality: 

467 4. Skonun Point, 5 miles east of Masset on north coast of 

Graham Island, Queen Charlotte Islands. Skonun 

Formation, Miocene or Pliocene. Collected by Richfield Oil Co. field party, 1958. 

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B20 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY 

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---1917b, Fauna of the Santa Margarita beds in the north 

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128 p. 

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SOME WESTERN AMERICAN CENOZOIC GASTROPODS OF THE GENUS NASSARIUS B21 

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A 

Page 

Acknowledgments ________________ ----------__ B2 

Alectrion californica___________________________ 7 

churchL _ ------------------------------- __ 12 grammatus ____________________ __ ---------- 6 

andersoni, Nassarius _____________________ 4, 12, 14, 15 

Nassarius ( Catilon) ---------------- ____ 14; pl. 3 

(Hima) ------------------------- ______ 14 

antiselli, Nassarius __ --------------------- __ 9, 12, 14 Nassarius (Catilon) ____________________ 13; pl. 3 

( Uzita) __ ---------------------4------- 14 arnoldi, Nassa ________________________________ 11,12 

Nassartus __ __ --------------- 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 

(Catilon) _____ -------------------- JZ; pl. 3 

(Hima) ------------------------------- 12 Uzita ____________________ ----------------- 12 

whitney£, Nassarius_ ---------------------- 4, 16 Nassarius ( Uzita)_____________________ 16 

Astoria Formation ___ ------------------------ 12,15 

Astrodapsis __ --------------------------------- 2 

atwoodi, Ostrea __ ----------------------------- 16 

B 

belcheri, Forreria_________________________ _____ 16 

Bibliography--------------------------------- 19 

blakei, Nassa __ ------------------------------- 16,17 

Nassarius __ _ ----------------------------- 17 

Briones Sandstone __ ------------------------- 7, 9 Buccinum elegans_____________________________ 5 

migum____________________________________ 5, 11 

mutabile __ -------------------------------- 3 

c 

Caesia ______________________________________ 2, 5, 7, 9 

sp_ --------------------------------------- 9 

(Caesia) cerritensis, Nassarius ___ _ ------------- pl. 1 

coalingensis, Nassarius_________________ 9; pl. 2 

delosi, Nassarius _______________________ 10; pl. 1 

fossatus coiloterus, Nassarius ______________ pl. 2 

Nassarius __ _ ------------------------- pl. 2 

grammatus, Nassarius __ --------------- 6; pl. 2 

moranianus, Nassarius_________________ 8: pl. 2 

perpinguis, Nassarius_____________________ pl. 3 

rhinetes, Nassarius _____________________ 10; pl. 2 

whitneyi, Nassarius _____________________ 9; pl. 2 

Calicantharus kettlemanensis __ __ -------------- 16 

californiana coalingensis, Nassa __ _ ------------ 9 

Nassa_ ------------------------------- 6, 7, 10, 16 Schizopyga _______________________________ 3, 4, 10 

californian us, Nassarius __ --------- 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 

Nassarius (Demondia) _ ----------------- 3; pl. 1 

(Schizopyga) -------------------------- 6, 8 

californica, Alectrion __ ------------------------ 7 

Cancellaria_---------------------------------- 12 

CAS __ --------------------------------------- 2 catallus, Nassarius____________________________ 11 

Catilon ______________________________ 11, 13, 14, 15,16 

(Catilon) andersoni, Nassarius ______________ 14; pl. 3 

antiselli, Nassarius _ -------------------- 13; pl. 3 

arnoldi, Nassarius_ --------------------- 1t; pl. 3 churchi, Nassarius________________________ 12 

hamlini, Nassarius ______________________ 15; pl. 3 

hildegardae, Nassarius_ ----------------- 16; pl. 3 

iniquus, Nassarius __ ------------------- 16; pl. 3 pabloensis, Nassarius ___________________ 13; pl. 3 

salinasensis, Nassarius __________________ 15; pl. 3 

smooti, Nassarius _______________________ 13; pl. 3 

stocki, Nassarius __ --------------------- 14.; pl. 3 

INDEX 

[Italic numbers indicate major references and descriptions] 

Page 

cerritensis, Nassarius________________________ B6, 10 

Nassarius (Caesia)________________________ pl.1 

churchi, Alectrion_ ---------------------------- 12 Nassarius _________________________________ 12, 13 

Cierbo Sandstone_____________________________ 9 

Clinocardium meekianum______________________ 8 

coalingensis, Nassa____________________________ 9 

Nassa californiana________________________ 9 

Nassarius _________________________________ 4, 6, 7 

(Caesia) _____________________________ 9; pl. 2 

zone, Merriamaster ------------------------ 18 

coiloterus, Nassarius (Caesia) fossatus_ _ _ _ _____ pl. 2 

Nassarius fossatus ____ -------------------- 8 

cooperi, Nassarius (Demondta) mendicus_______ pl.1 

Nassarius mendicus_______________________ 3 Turritella__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ ____ __ _ _ _ _ _ ___ ___ _ 16 

D 

Demondia __ ---------------------------------- 2, 3 

(Demondia) californianus, Nassarius________ 3; pl.1 

lincolnensis, Nassarius ___________________ 5; pl. 1 

mendicus indisputabilis, Nassarius _ _ ______ pl. 1 

Nassarius_____________________________ pl. 1 

cooperi, Nassarius_____________________ pl. 1 

delosi, Nassa__________________________________ 10 

Nassarius _____________________________ 4, 6, 10, 11 

(Caesia) ______ --------------------- 10; pl. 1 

E 

elegans, Buccinum ___ -------------------------

Empire Formation __ ------------------------- 15 

Etchegoin Formation_----------------------- 4,16 

eupleura, Nassarius insculptus_ --------------- 11 

F 

Forreria belchert_ ___ ___ --------------------- __ 16 

fossatus coiloterus, Nassarius __ ---------------- 8 

coiloterus, Nassarius (Caesia)______________ pl. 2 

Nassarius _____________________________ 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 

(Caesia) ______________________________ pl. 2 

G 

gallegosi, Nassarius _ -------------------------- 11 Gastropoda___________________________________ 3 

Glycymeris zone_______________________________ 18 

gordanus, Nassarius insculptus________________ 11 

gouldii, Nassarius ______ ---------------------- 8 

grammatus, Alectrion __ ----------------------- Nassarius _________________________ 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 

(Caesia) _____________________________ 6; pl. 2 

guaymasensis, Nassarius _ _ _ _______ _ _ __ _ ___ _ __ _ 11 

H 

hamlini, Nassa________________________________ 15 

Nassarius__________ _______ ___ __ ___________ 11 

(Catilon) ___________________________ 15; pl. 3 

healyi, Patinopecten___________________________ 8 

hildegardae, Nassarius ______________________ 12,14,16 

Nassarius (Catilon) _____________________ 16; pl. 3 

(Hima) andersoni, Nassarius__________________ 14 

arnoldi, Nassarius________________________ 12 

Hinia lincolnensis ________ ____________________ _ 

I 

indisputabilis, Nassarius (Demondia) mendicus_ pl. 1 

Nassarius mendicus_______________________ 3, 4 

Page 

iniqua, Nassa miser ___________________________ B16 

iniquus, Nassarius _______________________ 4, 12, 14,16 

Nassarius (Catilon) _____________________ 16; pl. 3 

insculptus eupleura, Nassarius________________ 11 

gordanus, Nassarius_______________________ 11 

Nassarius___________ ____ _ _ ___ ____ ____ __ ___ 11 

interlineatus, Scutellaster______________________ 8 

Introduction _________________________________ _ 

K 

kettlemanensis, Calicantharus__________________ 16 

Keys, species of Caesia________________________ 5 

species of Catilon __ ----------------------- 11 

species of Demondia______________________ 3 

subgenera of Nassarius___________________ 3 

L 

LACMIP ------------------------------------ 2 Lincoln Formation___________________________ 12 

lincolnensis, Hinia____________________________ 5 

Nassa _ _ _ ___ _ __ ____ _______ ___ ______ ___ ___ _ 5 

Nassarius_________________________________ 3, 5 

(Demondta) ___________________ ______ 5; pl. 1 

lohri, Patinopecten____________________________ 14 

Lyropecten terminus___________________________ 16 

M 

meekianum, Clinocardium_____________________ 8 

mendicus cooperi, Nassarius___________________ 3 

cooperi, Nassarius (Demondia) ____________ pl. 1 

indisputabilis, Nassarius _ ----------------- 3, 4 

Nassarius (Demondia) ________________ pl. 1 

Nassarius ______________________________ 1, 3, 4,14 

(Demondia) ___________________________ - pl. 1 

Merced Formation_------------------------ 5, 6, 7, 8 

mercedensis, Ophiodermella____________________ 8 

Merriamaster coalingensis zone________________ 18 

migum, Buccinum ____ ------------------------ 5, 11 

Millerton Formation_------------------------ 10 

Miocene molluscan stages_____________________ 2 

miser iniqua, Nassa___________________________ 16 Nassarius _________________________________ 11, 16 

Montesano Formation________________________ 15 

moraniana, Nassa __ -------------------------- 6, 8 Schizopyga_ _ ____ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ __ ___ ___ _ _ _ ___ 6 

moranianus, Nassarius __________________ 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 

Nassarius ( Caesta)_____________________ 8; pl. 2 

(Schizopyga) -------------------------- 8 mutabile, Buccinum___________________________ 3 

N 

Nassa arnoldi_ ________________________________ 11,12 

blakei_ __ ---------------------------------- 16, 17 californiana ___________________________ 6, 7,10,16 

coalingensis ___ ------------------------ 9 coalingensis ___ _______________________ --- _ _ 9 

delosL ------------------------------------ 10 hamlini_ _____________________________ -- _ _ _ 15 

lincolnensis_ ------------------------------ 5 miser iniqua______________________________ 16 

morantan«-------------------------------- 6, 8 ocoyana___ __ _ ___ __ _ ____ _ __ _ ___ _ __ _ ___ ___ _ _ 16 

pabloensis_____ ___ _ __ _ __ __ ___ _ __ __ _ _ ___ __ __ 13 

perpinguis ___ _______________ --------- ___ -- 5 

waldorfensis _____ ______________ --- _ __ ___ __ _ 3 

whitneyi_ _ -------------------------------- 9 sp ________ ------ ____ ____ _ ____ _ _ ___ ___ _ __ _ _ 7, 9 

B23 
PLATE 1 

FIGURES 1-10, 31. Nassarius (Demondia) californianus (Conrad) (p. B3). 

1. Height 16.3 mm, width 9.8 mm, UCMP 30809. Merced Formation, Pliocene, Wilson Ranch, Sonoma 

County, Calif., UCMP loc. 7033. 

2, 4-6, 9, 10. Merced(?) Formation, late Pliocene, Santa Clara County, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1715. 

2. Height 16 mm, width 8.6 mm, USNM 648591. 

4. Height 15.8 mm, width 8.6 mm, USNM 648548. 

5, 6. Neotype. Height 14 mm, width 7.5 mm, USNM 648596. 

9. Height 4.9 mm, width 3.2 mm, USNM 648549. 

10. Height 15 mm, width 8.3 mm, USNM 648550. 

7, 8. Cebada Fine-grained Member of the Careaga Sandstone, late Pliocene, Casmalia ·Hills, Santa Barbara 

County, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. 14608. 

7. Height 12 mm, width 6.4 mm, USNM 649001. 

8. Height 9.8 mm, width 5.8 mm, USNM 649002. 

3. Reproduction of original figure of Schizopyga californiana Conrad (Conrad, 1857, pl. 2, fig. 1). Santa 

Clara, Calif., specimen lost. 

31. Height 13.8 mm, width 7.7 mm, USNM 648551. Merced(?) Formation, late Pliocene, Santa Clara 

County, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1720. 

11-13. Nassarius (Demondia) mendicus forma indisputabilis Oldroyd (p. B3). Unnamed marine terrace deposit, 

late Pleistocene, Point Aiio Nuevo, San Mateo County, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1690. 

11. Height 20.1 mm, width 9.2 mm, USNM 648552. 

12, 13. Height 19.7 mm, width 9.7 mm, USNM 648553. 

14-16. Nassarius (Demondia) mendicus (Gould) (p. B3). 

14, 15. Palos Verdes Sand, late Pleistocene, San Pedro, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1723. 

14. Height 14 mm, width 7.4 mm, USNM 648554. 

15. Height 13.4 mm, width 6.8 mm, USNM 648555. 

16. Height 16.6 mm, width 7.8 mm, UCMP 15108. Upper part of Merced Formation, Early Pleistocene, 

one-fourth mile west of Thronton Station, San Mateo County, Calif., UCMP loc. 1727. 

17-19. Nassarius (Demondia) mendicus forma cooperi (Forbes) (p. B3). 

17, 18. Palos Verdes Sand, late Pleistocene, Arnold's lumber yard locality, San Perdo, Calif., USGS 

Cenozoic loc. M1728 (same as USGS loc. 12135). 

17. Height 13.8 mm, width 6.7 mm, USNM 648556. 

18. Height 17 mm, width 8.2 mm, USNM 648557. 

19. Height 12.7 mm, width 7.2 mm, USNM 648558. Santa Barbara Formation, late Pliocene, about 

1}~ miles north of Goleta, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1918. 

2Q-22. Nassarius (Demondia) lincolnensis (Anderson and Martin) (p. B5). 

20, 21. Height 10.2 mm, width 6.5 mm, USNM 648559. Astoria Formation, middle Miocene, south 

side of Yaquina Head, Lincoln County, Oreg., USGS loc. 18907. 

22. Height 8.3 mm, width 5.4 mm, USNM 648560. Astoria Formation, middle Miocene, Lincoln County, 

Oreg., USGS Cenozoic loc. 18284. 

23-25, 28-30. Nassarius (Caesia) delosi (Woodring) (p. B10). 

23. Height 29 mm, width 17 mm, SDSNH 42927. Recent, Mission Bay, San Diego County, Calif. 

Photographed by James McLean. 

24. Height 28.5 mm, width 17.4 mm, USNM 648561. Saugus Formation, early Pleistocene, 1 mile west 

of Ventura, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1733. 

25. Height 34.4 mm, width 19.5 mm, USNM 648562. Marine terrace deposit, late Pleistocene, Laguna 

Beach, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1017. 

28, 29. Height 36 mm, width 19.1 mm, USNM 648563. Palos Verdes Sand, late Pleistocene, Newport, 

Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1922. 

30. Height 36.5 mm, width 19.5 mm, SDSNH 11485. Recent, Balboa [Newport Beach], Calif. Photographed by James McLean. 

26, 27. Nassarius (Caesia) cerritensis (Arnold) (p. B6). Palos Verdes Sand, late Pleistocene, San Pedro, Calif., 

USGS Cenozoic loc. M1723. 

26. Height 21.5 mm, width 11.7 mm, USNM 648564. 

27. Height 22.2 mm, width 13.4 mm, USNM 648565. 
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FIGURES 1, 2, 7, 8, 13- 16, 26. N assarius ( Caesia) grammatus (Dall) (p. B6). 

1, 2. Lectotype. Height 35.9 mm, width 22.6 mm, USNM 648566. Santa Barbara Formation, late 

Pliocene, Santa Barbara, Calif., USNM catalog No. 101721. 

7, 8. Height 16.3 mm, width 11 mm, USNM 648567. Santa Barbara Formation, late Pliocene, 

17~ miles north of Goleta, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M19 18. 

15, 16, 26. Merced(?) Formation, late Pliocene, Santa Clara County, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. 

M1715. 

15. Height 27.9 mm, width 7.9 mm, USNM 648569. 

16. Height 29.3 mm, width 18.7 mm, USNM 648570. 

26. Height 6.1 mm, width 4.4 mm, USNM 648571. 

13, 14. Syntype. Height 28.1 mm, width 18.4 mm, USNM 648572. Santa Barbara Formation, 

late Pliocene, Santa Barbara, Calif., USNM catalog No. 101721. 

3, 4, 9-11, 29. N assarius ( Caesia) moranianus (Martin) (p. B8). 

3, 4, 9, 29. Merced Formation, late Pliocene, Bolinas, Cal~f ., UCMP loc. 1549. 

3. Topotype. Height 17.3 mm, width 12.4 mm, UCMP 15069. 

4. Topotype. Height 25.4 mm, width 16.2 mm, UCMP 15070. 

9. Holotype. Height 30.6 mm, width 20.2 mm, UCMP 12338. 

29. Topotype. Height 44.4 mm, width 26.5 mm, UCMP 15071. 

10. Height 31 mm, Width 18.7 mm, UCMP 15072. Saugus Formation, early Pleistocene(?), Ventura 

County, Calif., UCMP loc. 7091. 

11. Height 26.8 mm, width 19.8 mm, UCMP 15073. Upper part of the Merced Formation, early 

Pleistocene, northwestern San Mateo County, Calif., UCMP loc. B4810. 

5, 6. N as sari us ( Caesia) fossatus (Gould) (p. B5) . 

5. Height 31.7 mm, width 18.3 mm, USNM 648573. Saugus Formation, early Pleistocene, 1 mile 

west of Ventura., Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1733. 

6. Height 29.7 mm, width 17 mm, USNM 64857 4. Palos Verdes Sand, late Pleistocene, San Pedro, 

Calif., USGS Cenozo'ic loc. M1723. 

12. Nassarius (Caesia) grammatus (Dall) n. subsp(?) (p. B7). Height 26.6 mm, width 20 mm, UCMP 

15074. Rio Dell Formation of Ogle (1953), Pl;iocene, Humboldt County, Calif., UCMP loc. B7642. 

17, 18. Nassarius (Caesia) coalingensis (Arnold) (p. B9). 

17. Reproduction of holotype figured by Arnold (1909, pl. 27, fig. 7), about X 1% natural size, USNM 

catalog No. 165508. Etchegoin Formation of Arnold (1909), Pliocene, 4 miles south of Coalinga, Calif., USGS loc. 4758. 

18. Reproduction of specimen figured by Woodring and others (1940, pl. 15, fig. 3), height 33 mm, 

width 16 mm, USNM 495757. San Joaquin Formation, late Pliocene, Kettleman Hills, Calif., 

USGS loc. 12359. 

19-25, 27. N as sari us ( Caesia) whitneyi (Trask) (p. B9). 

19-22. Skonun Formation, M-iocene or Pliocene, northern Graham Island, British Columbia, Canada, 

UCLA loc. 4674. 

19. Height 8.1 mm, width 5.2 mm, UCLA 34540. 

20, 21. Height 10 mm, width 6.4 mm, UCLA 34541. 

22. Height 10.1 mm, width 6 mm, UCLA 34542. 

23. Height 12.5 mm, width 7.6 mm, UCMP 15075, a rubber cast. Briones Sandstone, late Miocene, 

Contra Costa County, Calif., UCMP loc. A4920. 

24. Height 11.7 mm, width 7.1 mm, UCMP 15076, a rubber cast. Sobrante Formation of Lutz 

(1951, middle Miocene, Contra Costa County, Calif., UCMP loc. A4925. 

25, 27. Briones Sandstone, late Miocene, Contra County, Calif., UCMP loc. B4749. 

25. Height 9.2 mm, width 5.9 mm, UCMP 15077, a slightly crushed internal mold. 

27. Height 10.3 mm, width 6.8 mm, UCMP 15078, a slightly crushed internal mold. 

28. Nassarius (Caesia) rhinetes Berry (p. B10) . TTolotype. Height 28 mm, width 19 mm, S. S. Berry, 

personal collection No. 1182. Recent, dredged from 40 fathoms in Monterey Bay, Calif., photographed by James McLean. 

30, 31. Nassarius (Caesia) fossatus forma coiloterus (Woodring) (p. B8). Palos Verdes Sand, late Pleistocene, 

Playa del Rey, Calif., LACMIP loc. 59. 

30. Height 52.3 mm, width 27.5 mm, LACMIP 1129. 

31. Height 62.6 mm, width 34.1 mm, LACMIP 1130. 
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FrnuRES 1-3, 10, 15. Nassarius (Catilon) arnoldi (Anderson) (p. B12). 

1, 2. Height 7 mm, width 4.5 mm, USNM 648575. Round Mountain Silt of Dicpcnbrock (1933), middle 

Miocene, Kern County, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1604. 

3, 10. Upper part of the Olcese Sand of Diepenbrock (1933), Kern River district, California, USGS Cenozoic 

loc. M1597. 

3. Topotype. Height 7.1 mm, width 4.6 mm, USNM 648576. 

10. Neotype. Height 7.2 mm, width 4.6 mm, USNM 648577. 

15. Height 4.9 mm, width 3.7 mm, USNM 648949. Uppermost part of the Lincoln Formation of Weaver 

(1912), middle Miocene, Grays Harbor County, Wash. USGS loc. M1514. 

4, 5. Nassarius (Catilon) stocki Kanakoff (p. B14). Topotypes. Pico Formation [=Towsley Formation], early 

Pliocene, eastern Ventura basin, California, CAS loc. 36827. 

4. Height 9 mm, width 5.6 mm, CAS 12599. 

5. Height 8.4 mm, width 5 mm, CAS 12600. 

6. Nassarius (Catilon) iniquus (Stewart) (p. B16). Height 17.7 mm, width 9.3 mm, UCMP 15079. San Joaquin 

Formation, Pliocene, Kings County, Calif., UCMP loc. A3166. 

7- 9. Nassarius (Catilon) smooti Addicott, n. sp. (p. B13). Upper part of the Olcese Sand of Diepenbrock (1933), 

middle Miocene, Kern River district, California, USGS Cenozoic loc. M1597. 

7, 8. Holotype. Height 7.3 mm, width, 4.2 mm, USNM 648575. 

9. Topotype. Height 8.9 mm, width 5.3 mm, USNM 648579. 

11, 12. Nassarius (Catilon) hildegardae Kanakoff (p. B16). Topotypes. Pico Formation [=Towsley Formation], 

early Pliocene, eastern Vent ura basin, California, LACMIP loc. 291. 

11. Height 6.2 mm, width 3.2 mm, LACMIP 1131. 

12. Height 5.7 mm, width 3.1 mm, LACMIP 1132. 

13, 14. Nassarius (Catilon?) antiselli (Anderson and Martin) (p. B13). Height 8.5 mm, width 4.4 mm, USNM 648580. 

Saltos Shale Member of Monterey Formation of Hill, and others (1958), middle Miocene, San Luis Obispo 

County, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1923. 

16-18. Nassarius (Catilon) andersoni (Weaver) (p. B14). 

16. Height 9.6 mm, width 6.4 mm, USNM 648581. Montesano Formation of Weaver (19 12), Pliocene(?), 

Grays Harbor County, Wash., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1545. 

17, 18. Height 12.8 mm, width 7 mm, USNM 648582. Quinault Formation, Pliocene, north of Point 

Grenville, Wash., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1827. 

19, 26- 28. Nassarius (subgenus?) ocoyanus (Anderson and Martin) (p. B 16). Near base of the Round Mountain Silt 

of Diepenbrock (1933), middle Miocene, Kern River district, California, UCMP loc. B1637. 

19. Height 12.9 mm, width 6.5 mm, UCMP 15080. 

26, 27. Height 10.2 mm, width 5 mm, UCMP 15081. 

28. Height 10.5 mm, width 4.9 mm, UCMP 15082. 

20, 21. Nassarius (Catilon) hamlini (Arnold) (p. B15). Unnamed sandstone of Pliocene age, upper Newport Bay, 

Orange County, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1921. 

20. Height 16.7 mm, width 9.3 mm, USNM 648583, a rubber cast. 

21. Height 13.4 mm, width 6.0 mm, USNM 648584, a rubber cast. 

22- 25. Nassarius (Catilon) pabloensis (Clark) (p. B13). Santa Margarita Formation, Comanche Point, Kern County, 

Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1619. 

22. Height 9.4 mm, width 5.5 mm, USNM 648585, a rubber cast. 

23. Height 9.1 mm, width 6 mm, USNM 648586, a rubber cast. 

24. Height 15 mm, width 7.6 mm, USNM 648587, a rubber cast. 

25. Height 11.7 mm, width 5 mm, USNM 648588, a rubber cast. 

29, 32. Nassarius ( Caesia) perpinguis (Hinds) ( p. B6). 

29. Height 20.4 mm, width 11.9 mm, USNM 648589. Palos Verdes Sand, late Pleistocene, San Pedro, 

Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1723. 

32. Height 14.5 mm, width 8.7 mm, USNM 648950. Saugus Formation, early Pleistocene, 1 mile west of 

of Ventura, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M1733. 

30, 31. Nassarius (Catilon?) salinasensis Addicott, n. sp. (p. B15.) Pancho Rico Formation, early Pliocene, Monterey 

County, Calif., USGS Cenozoic loc. M977. 

30. Holotype. Height 16.9 mm, width 9.6 mm, USNM 648597, a rubber cast. 

31. Height 17.8 mm, width 8.9 mm, USNM 648598, a rubber cast. 
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