IANTHINA. 



187 



is partly sunk within the spire, and obliquely turned in various 

 directions : suture rather slight but distinct : mouth irregularly 

 triangular ; the base of the triangle is the pillar, the lower part 

 of which is reflected outwards, and forms a more or less sharp 

 angle : outer Up gently incurved below the periphery, widely 

 and deeply sinuated in the middle : inner lip consisting of a 

 white film, which lines the upper side of the base within the 

 mouth and is folded back on the under side over the pillar ; 

 this is twisted and nearly perpendicular. L. 1*2. B. 1-35. 



Habitat : Occasionally cast on shore, from July to 

 November, in the south and west of England and Ire- 

 land, and the Bristol Channel. To these localities may 

 be added the north of Ireland (Turton and Thompson) , 

 Portrush, co. Antrim (Turton and Brown), Loch Ryan 

 (James Smith), and Skye (Forbes, MS.). The foreign 

 distribution of this species is doubtful ; I can only ven- 

 ture to give Brittany (Cailliaud and Tasle), Madeira and 

 the Canary Islands (M f Andrew), and probably the Azores 

 (Drouet) . Dr. Morch informs me that no Ianthina or 

 other oceanic animal has been observed on the shores of 

 Denmark. 



When I found living specimens on the Welsh coast 

 (nearly forty years ago) I was a boy, and cared for the 

 shells only ; the animal did not then interest me. Clark's 

 description of the latter is generic ; and that given by 

 Forbes and Hanley seems to represent some species of 

 the oviparous section, because it mentions the egg- 

 vesicles. The present species is certainly viviparous. 

 Young as well as adult specimens contain perfectly 

 formed fry of a whorl and a half. The shell is some- 

 times distorted, owing to an imperfectly repaired frac- 

 ture, or to the mantle having been injured. In ' Lou- 

 don's Magazine of Natural History ' for July 18-34 will 

 be found an interesting notice by Dr. Turton of the 

 appearance of this Ianthina in the small coves about the 



