SEMICASSIS. 215 



aperture linear, long, with a short, sharply -recurved, sinis- 

 tral canal in front ; inner lip forming a large, transversely- 

 wrinkled plate spread over the body -whorl ; outer lip 

 thickened, reflected, plicate or toothed. 



Syn. Cassidea, Bruy., Schum., not Link. Cassida, 

 Humph., not Lang or Linn. 



Ex, C. cornuta, Linnams, pi. 23, fig. 1. Operculum, 

 C. cornuta, fig. 1, a, 1, b. Shell, C. tuberosa, Linncens, 

 fig. 1, c. 



The Cassides are active and voracious, living in sandy 

 localities where bivalves abound, and upon which they prey- 

 They are found in the Mauritius, Ceylon, the Philip- 

 pines, the West Indies, and the Mediterranean ; the larger 

 species are employed in the manufacture of shell cameos, 

 which are carved from the large enamelled plate of the 

 inner lip. 



Species of Cassis. 



cornuta, Linn. Madagascariensis, Lain. 



fimbriata, Quoy and Gaim. spinosa, Meusch. 



flammea, Linn. tuberosa, Liim. 



Genus SEMICASSIS, Klein. 



Operculum half-ovate, moderate, nucleus on the middle 

 of the straight inner edge. 



Shell ovate, transversely grooved; spire moderate, 

 acute, whorls more or less tuberculated ; aperture oblong, 

 emarginate anteriorly; inner lip obliquely rugosely pli- 

 cated; outer lip reflexed and transversely plicated. 



Si/n. Cassidea, b. Sicains. 



Ex. S. anceps, H. and A. Adams, pi. 23, fig. 2. 



