140 



SHELLS AND SHELL-FISH. PAKT 1. 



lobe^ which is so prevalent in the next group. This 

 lobe is most conspicuous in S. lentiginosiis, where, in 

 fact;, there are two ; as is the case, also, in our S. Gallus 

 and tuherculntns ; but in minimus, variabilis, &c., the 

 lobe is less apparent. Yet, in all these, the outer lip, 

 although large, is not reflected, but takes a curve in- 

 wards. The fourth type is seen in ^S". gibherulns, which 

 is remarkable for the shortness and distortion of the 

 spiral whorls, and the very slight expansion of the outer 

 lip : it is chiefly remarkable, however, for a thickened 

 deposition of enamel at the top of the inner lip, analo- 

 gous to that in Nassa, Oliva, &c. These are connected 

 to the last by Lulmanus, which has the distorted 

 spire, but not the other characters, of gihherulus. The 

 fifth and last type is seen in the Stromhus succinctus, 

 remarkable for the prolongation of the lip, very high 

 upon the spire, so that it becomes a perfect represent- 

 ation, in this group, of Rostellaria. 



(129.) The next genus is Stromhidea, — a name we 

 give to all those small shells, which, like S. urceus and 

 its congeners, have the outer lip merely lobed at the 

 base, without being detached, or dilated above. We 

 take some blame to ourselves, for not having long ago 

 perceived that these shells were not true Strombi ; but 

 we had then only analysed the family in part ; and, as 

 usual in such cases, we subsequently found that we 

 were in error.* The Strombidea, in short, are proto- 

 types of the ColumbellincB ; and so strong is this 

 analogy, that our S. crassilabis was sent to us as a 

 Columbella. 



(130.) The genus Rostellaria contains some few 

 of the most elegant and costly, if not the most beautiful, 

 shells in this family : it is, therefore, very interesting, 

 even to the conchologist ; but it is particularly so with 

 reference to its types. The primary distinction of all 

 these shells, — few in number, but singularly varied, — 

 is a slender channel, thickened on each side, which 



* 1 allude to the article regarding the Sirombidcc in the second series of 

 the Zoological Illustration)!. 



