Original description.
Shell acicular, increasing regularly in size, irregularly variegated with varying shades of brown, yellow, and white. Nuclear wdiorls four, browm, marked by two strong, narrow spiral tlii-eads wliich divide the space between the sutures into tlu'ee parts, of whicli the anterior two are about equal, while the posterior one is a little wider than the rest. In addition to the spiral tlu'eads, the surface is marked by many regular, slender, axial riblets, almost as strong as the spiral keels; of these there are about tliirty upon the second and twentyeight upon the fourth turn. The fu-st tlu-ee postnuclear turns are white, the remaining variegated. The early ones are marked by a double row of tubercles, one at the summit, the other at the periphery, separated by a broad channel. The anterior one is the stronger. Beginning with the fourth turn, a slender thread makes its appearance in the intermediate channel, a little posterior to the middle. This remains slender and on none of the turns, not even the last, becomes as strongly developed as the other two. The postnuclear whorls are also marked by poorly developed, rather broad, axial riblets, the intersection of which with the spiral keels marks the tubercles. The tubercles slope more abruptly posteriorly than anteriorly. The entire surface is crossed, in addition to the above-described sculpture, by microscopic spiral and axial lines. Sutures strongly impressed. Periphery of the last whorl marked by a well-impressed channel. Base rather short, evenly rounded, marked by tlii-ee keels, of which the fu'st adjoins the peripheral sulcus and is beaded and colored like its posterior neighbor. The other two keels are not tuberculate and are separated by a channel a little deeper and wider than the channel wliich separates the middle keel from the first. The third keel is the least developed and is situated on the base of the columella. The anterior part of the base, including the median keel, is of light-brown color. Aperture irregular, the main portion circular. The posterior slit closed at the edge, but with a circular perforation a little distance behind the edge; anteriorly the outer lip is closely appressed to the columella, but a circular perforation is present at the base of the columella. Columella short and decidedly twisted. The type has seventeen whorls, and measures: Length, 6.5 mm.; diameter, 2.0 mm.