174 AURICULACEA. 



Kay); Rhode Island, (Conrad?) It is also a well-known 

 inhabitant of parts of the coasts of England, France, 

 Spain, &c. 



Remarks. I have placed this shell in this genus on the 

 authority of Pfeiffer and of Adams Genera. It has been 

 placed in many different genera by European authors. 

 In America it has been considered an Auricula by Gould 

 and others, until Stimpson classed it among the Melampi. 

 From the exterior of the animal there appears no difference 

 between it and Me/ampus bidentatus. It does not even 

 agree with the animal of Alexia, given by Adams in the 

 Genera of Recent Mollusca, which I have copied on pi. 

 75, fig. 22. This figure represents the true Alexia den- 

 ticulata Montfort, with which Gould confounds this spe- 

 cies. The shell is also quite distinct. It is, however, 

 united to Alexia myosotis by Forbes and Hanley, in 

 their work on British Mollusca. Pfeiffer considers them 

 distinct. 



It is probably an imported species, as Stimpson remarks, 

 (1. c.,) being found only in the Atlantic seaports. At Bos- 

 ton it is common on the piers of the wharves in the harbor. 

 It is also found on isolated stones which are immersed by 

 the rising tide at least four hours out of the twelve. When 

 placed in fresh water it becomes benumbed and dies. 



There can be no doubt of M. borealis Conrad being 

 identical with this species. Conrad's description is given 

 below, as is also a description of it found among Say's 

 manuscripts, but never published. 



DeKay also says : 



The borealis of Jay's Cat., of an olive-green color, an elevated 

 apex, and with slightly impressed sutures, with a thin transverse 

 tooth above and a small sinous tooth beneath, I suppose to be a 

 young variety of the above described species, (A. myosotis). 



MELAMPUS TURRITUS. Ovate-acute, polished, dull whitish; spire 

 prominent, tapering, of eight whorls ; aperture rather wide, not longer 



