« Shell oval, with a tendency to become cylindrical, rather solid, semitransparent and glossy. Sculpture: numerous spiral striae or impressed lines, which are visible to the naked eye ; towards each end they are stronger, and alternately large and small (sometimes two or three smaller striae between two of the larger size), and they are throughout closely punctate in consequence of the interstices being crossed by fine longitudinal striae ; the spiral striae are much slighter in the middle of the shell, which in the young is usually quite smooth ; epidermis reddish-brown, it is chiefly persistent on the spiral striae, which are, therefore, darkly lineated ; color pale yellowish or cream color, occasionally milk-white ; spire partly exposed ; crown perforated, and obliquely encircled by a thick angular rim ; mouth as in H. navicula, but narrower, its length exceeds that of the spire ; outer lip not much curved in the middle, nor folding inwards ; it projects a little beyond the crown ; inner lip slight ; pillar short, thick, and flexuous ; at its base is a rather strong fold, which makes the lower part of the mouth appear channelled ; behind the pillar is a small and groove-like umbilicus (Jefr.). » – H. A. Pilsbry: Manual of conchology, structural and systematic vol. XV, Philadephia 1893, p.279. – Above: the species, figured plate 28.