Shell broadly ovate, yellowish white. Nuclear whorls two and one-half, smooth, well rounded. Post-nuclear whorls well rounded, marked by narrow, well-rounded, somewhat sinuous, almost vertical, axial ribs which are about one-third as wide as the spaces that separate them. Of these ribs 24 occur upon the second and the penultimate turn. In addition to the axial sculpture the whorls are marked by low, rounded, equal and equally spaced spiral cords, which are a little weaker than the axial ribs. Of these cords 6 occur between the sutures on the second turn and 7 on the penultimate turn, the first being at the summit. These spiral cords are a little narrower than the spaces that separate them. Suture moderately constricted. Periphery of the last whorl inflated, marked by a sulcus which is as wide as the spaces that separate the cords on the spire and, like them, crossed by the continuations of the axial ribs, which terminate at the posterior border of the first basal keel. Base strongly rounded, narrowly umbilicated, very slightly attenuated anteriorly, marked by eight equal and equally spaced spiral cords which are about as wide as the spaces that separate them. Aperture broadly oval; posterior angle obtuse; outer lip thick, reenforced immediately behind the edge by a moderately thick callus; inner lip strongly curved and somewhat reflected over and partly appressed to the base; parietal wall covered with a moderately thick callus.
The type and 72 specimens (Cat. No. 2136S8, U.S.N.M.) were dredged by the United States Bureau of Fisheries steamer Albatross
at station 2901 in 4S fathoms, off Santa Rosa Island, California, on mud bottom, bottom temperature 55°. The type has three post-nuclear whorls and measures: Length 2.G mm., diameter 1.5 mm. Cat. No. 213689, U.S.N.M., contains 45 specimens dredged by the United States Bureau of Fisheries steamer Albatross at station 2902 in 53 fathoms, off Santa Rosa Island, California, on mud bottom, bottom temperature 45°. Cat. No. 23762, U.S.N.M., contains one specimen dredged in 30 fathoms off Catalina Island, California, and Cat. No. 46169, U.S.N.M., contains one which was also dredged in 30 fathoms off Catalina Island, California.

Description. Shell small (maximum length 2.6 mm), whorls rounded, suture deeply impressed, aperture slightly less than half length of shell; protoconch whorls 2.5, smooth. Aperture oval, columella with umbilical chink. Axial sculpture of narrow, sharply raised ribs and regular spiral cords of lesser strength, producing rectangular clathrations; base with spiral sculpture only.
Type Locality and Type Specimens. Off Santa Rosa Island, California, 48 fathoms. Lectotype (here designated): USNM 213688. Alvania burrardensis: Burrard Inlet, British Columbia (no depth mentioned); holotype: USNM 340938.

Distribution. Kachemak Bay, Alaska (59°N), to Punta San Pablo, Baja California Sur (27°N).
Habitat Soft bottoms offshore, 20-300 m.

Remarks. This species is common throughout its distribution. It resembles Alvania compacta (Carpenter, 1864), which occurs in shallow water (see McLean, 1978:27, fig. 14.4), but has a deeper suture and more rounded whorls.