RISSOA. 49 



Habitat : Gregarious, between tide-marks, on nearly 

 every part of our shores. The variety is equally diffused, 

 but nowhere so common as at Wevmouth and Lulworth. 

 The only locality recorded for this species as fossil is 

 Ireland, on the authority of Capt. Brown. Its foreign 

 range probably extends from Iceland (Zoega, fide Linne) , 

 along the Scandinavian coast from Bergen, southwards 

 to the iEgean (Forbes) . It has been found in several 

 parts of France, Spain, and the north of Italy. 



It appears to subsist on decayed seaweeds. Every 

 shade and gradation, as regards the colour and bands, 

 may be observed ; and I have a slightly turreted distor- 

 tion. 



Linnets description (in the 12th volume of his l Sys- 

 tema Naturae ') of Helix pella may suit this species ; and 

 there is no doubt that it is the Turbo trifasciatus of 

 Adams, and T. vittatus of Donovan. Although all these 

 names have precedence of that given by Montagu, I 

 must retain his as now universally accepted. Custom, 

 wills that, in science as well as in literature, names and 

 words in general use should be preferred to those which 

 are obsolete, although the latter may have the claim of 

 priority ; nor will the feeble cry of justice to the memory 

 of the author be listened to while the loud and imperious 

 demand of public convenience is ringing in our ears. 

 Michaud called this species R. cingilus, and Macgillivray 

 R. cingillata. A variety of a paler hue is Turton's 

 Turbo graphicus ; and the variety rupestris is R. fallax 

 of Brown. 



The " spurious " or un-English species of Rissoa are 

 as follows : — 



1. R. auriscalpium {Turbo, L.) = T. marginatus , Mont. 

 = T. arcuatus, Dillw. = R. acuta, Desm. = R. acicula, 

 Risso = Zippora Drummondii and Z. Drummondiana, 



VOL. IV. D 



