OLIVA. Panama Shells. 57 



41. Oliva voliitclla. 



Synonymy. 



Oliva rolutella Lam. in Ann. Mus. XVI. 322. No. 43. ] 810. 

 Lam. An. sans Vert. VII. 432. No. 43. Aug. 1822. 



Swains. Zool. 111. 2nd ser. pi. 40. f. 1. 1823. 



- cocrulea Wood Ind. Test, supp. pi. 4. f. 36. 1 828. 

 volutella Valenc, in Ilumb. liec. Obs. II. 334. 1833. 



- Duel. Mon. Oliva. pi. 6. f. 7-14. 1835. 



- Gray in Beech. Voy. p. 131. 1839. 

 Sowb. Man. No. 561. f. 560. 1839. 



- Duclos in Chenu 111. Conch, pi. 7. f. 7-14. 1843. 



Souleyet(?) Voy. Bonite. Moll. pi. 45. f. 22-24. 1844? 



Lam. An. sans Vert. X. 623. No. 43. Desh.Ed. 1844. 



Reeve Conch. Icon. pl.21.f. 54. Oct. 1850. 



Station. On mud banks at low water ; Cuming ! Reeve. 



This species we found alive in vast numbers, over an ex- 

 tent of many acres, on the sand beach west of the city of Pa- 

 nama. They were most numerous where the beach had a 

 gentle slope, about midway between high and low water mark. 

 Some time after the retreat of the tide they were found 

 crawling about with much vivacity on the wet sand. The 

 shell, while the animal was moving, was wholly covered with 

 the mantle, and the mantle was entirely concealed with a 

 thick coat of sand. When the first wave of the returning tide 

 struck them, washing off their coats of sand, they instantly 

 buried themselves. Frequently, however, I passed over this 

 spot without seeing any of them. They were also found, but 

 in less numbers, just above the low water mark of the neap 

 tides, on sandy flats near the beach above mentioned. 



Habitat. Shores of Mexico ; Humboldt and Bonpland ! La- 

 marck. 



Isthmus ; Swainson. 

 Unknown ; Wood. 



JUNE, 1852. 5 ANN. LYC, NAT. HI&T. 



