Cytharella: Shell small, 5-10 mm., eucitharid-like, but without apertural processes, ovate-biconic, with spire and aperture of about equal height. Protoconch tall, narrowly conical of 2-3 smooth rounded whorls. Adult sculpture of rather distant heavy rounded axial ribs, which rise above the suture, but are approximately in line from whorl to whorl. Suture strongly undulated by the axials. Surface crossed by numerous spiral lirations, strongest in the spaces between the axials. Aperture long, narrowly ovate, terminating in a short channelled but unnotched anterior canal. Outer lip with a heavy rounded varix. Sinus subsutural, a weak concavity, restricted by the varix. Inner lip a narrow defined callus. No apertural tubercles or processes.

Mangiliella: Shell small, 5-7 mm., narrowly ovate-fusiform, rather thin, with a tall spire of rounded whorls, very slightly round-shouldered, almost at the upper suture. Protoconch erect, peglike, of two smooth whorls. Adult sculpture of numerous prominently raised but narrowly rounded flexuous axials, which commence strongly, rising above the suture; these alternate with the next whorl-series, causing the suture to be strongly undulating. The axials continue strongly over most of the base; surface otherwise smooth. Aperture long and narrow, terminating in a short, channelled but unnotched anterior canal. Outer lip strengthened by a smooth rounded varix which bears a small denticle on the inside, at the lower extremity of the sinus, this being a shallow subsutural excavation. Inner lip narrowly callused, with a defined edge but no apertural processes. Colour light brownish, either obscurely spirally lined in reddish-brown, or with three reddish-brown zones, one sutural, one peripheral, which is half emergent at the lower suture on the spire-whorls, and the third on the neck. Range — The type species is a Recent Mediterranean shell. The following species from the Pliocene of Italy, the Miocene of France and the mid-Eocene of England and France, have been credited to this genus, but I have not had opportunity to examine relevant material.
The genus resembles Lyromangelia in its apertural details but the style of sculpture is quite different. In Lyromangelia the axials are few and strong, and are in line from whorl to whorl; in Mangiliella the axials are numerous, rise high above the suture, and alternate from whorl to whorl, causing the suture to be strongly undulating. These differences, however, probably reflect no more than subgeneric distinction between them.

Shell small, 10-15 mm., narrowly fusiform, with a tall spire of evenly convex whorls, and a narrow body-whorl slowly tapered to a short unnotched anterior canal. Protoconch small, narrowly conical of 3 moderately convex whorls, the tip slightly inrolled and spirally striate, remaining two whorls smooth, followed by a whorl of rather distant brephic axials. Adult whorls strongly sculptured with rather distant long broadly rounded slightly flexuous axials, which extend from suture to suture and over most of the body-whorl and base. There is no defined shoulder slope or sinus fasciole, but the axials are thinned somewhat over that area and are shallowly concave, corresponding to a weak subsutural sinus. The whole surface is finely spirally striated. Outer lip either thin or variced, according to the stage of growth, whether the lip coincides with an axial rib or an interspace. Colour buff to light reddish-brown, sometimes with a darker basal zone. Operculum apparently absent. The radula of marginals only, which are short, broad and leaf-shaped, with a thickened V-shaped base.
"Animal white with flaky specks. Its tentacula are closely set at their bases, very long for the genus, subulate, with the eyes on bulgings very low down and not far from their origin. The foot is lanceolate, truncated, and acutely angulated with auricles in front. The siphon is rather more attenuated than usual." Range — Recent, seas of northern Europe and the Mediterranean. The genus has been recorded from most temperate and tropical seas and from the Tertiary, back as far as the Eocene, but all these claims require careful investigation, since the name Mangelia, like Bela, has been subject to extensive conventional usage. At least one Indian Ocean species, however, townsendi Sowerby. 1895, seems to be definitely a Mangelia. It should be noted that the above is the correct spelling, not the emendation 'Mangilia’.