264 CYFRMIDM. 



nated, axile tooth, flauked on each side by three unci- 

 nated, hooked laterals ; outer lateral teeth conical, entire 

 or toothed. Head broad, rostrum short ; tentacles long 

 and subulate, with the eyes on bulgings at their external 

 bases. Mantle furnished with a siphon, and with large, 

 expanded side-lobes covering the shell ; branchial plume 

 single. Foot simple. 



Operculum none. 



Shell usually polished, the last whorl large, convolute, 

 wholly or partially concealing the others ; outer lip greatly 

 inflexed and toothed ; inner lip dentate or corrugated. 



The mantle-lobes are often externally ornamented with 

 forked or pointed beards or filaments, though sometimes, 

 as in Trivia, they are papillose, and occasionally they are 

 smooth and simple ; the foot is large and expanded, and 

 often greatly produced behind, and the end of the siphon 

 is frequently fimbriated. In their habits, the Cowries are 

 shy, and crawl slowly ; they are nearly all trojDical ani- 

 mals, living in warm countries, and as they glide along 

 among the coral-reefs and in the shelter of rocks, with 

 the lateral lobes of their mantles adorned with showv 

 colours, they present to the eye of the Naturalist objects 

 of singular interest and beauty. 



Genus CYPR.EA, LinnsBus. 



Shell ovately cylindrical, polished ; spire obsolete, or 

 concealed by enamel ; aperture narrow, linear ; inner lip 

 denticulated ; outer lip greatly inflected, denticulate or 

 crenate. 



Si/n. Porcellana (part), Rumph. Peribolus (young), 

 Adans. Cyprea, Monif. Cypriarius, Dam. Erythrasa, 

 Barrol. 



