85 Natural Hiftory of 



they are capable of providing for themfelves, make their Re- 

 treat into the Sea. 



The Valve that covers this Door, during their minute 

 State, is a moft curious Contrivance, to preferve the tender 

 Animals from the Sea- Water, till they are able to venture 

 into it. 



During their Confinement, they are covered with a Slime 

 like the White of an Egg ; which, no doubt, nourifhes and 

 pi-omotes the Growth of the young Animals. 



If we attentively confider this String of Ovaries, we fliall 

 be apt to conclude, that both they, as well as the Animals, 

 grew afcer they v/cre depofitcd by the Parent Whelk ; for 

 they appear by much too large for even the largeft of this 

 Tribe ever to have contained. At firft Sight, they have the 

 Appearance of fomething belonging to the vegetable Tribe, 

 and are not unlike the Strings of Seed-Vedels of the Hop 

 Horiibeam. 



Fig. a^ Plate XXXIII. reprefcnts one of thefe Strings of 

 Matrices of the Virginia Whelk of a middling Size. This 

 appears to have been faftened to fome Rock, or other folid 

 Body, by the upper Part of the Ligament : Here we obferve 

 the Ovaries begin fmall ; as you trace them on to the Mid- 

 dle, they grow larger : Afterwards they fall off in Size, till, 

 at the lower End, they fcarce have the Appearance of Ova- 

 ries, but tinilTi in imperfed Figures. 



Fig. a I, fhews the young Shells lying in one of the Ova- 

 ries, in their natural Size ; in the front Edge of which. Fig. a 2. 

 is the fmall Valve ciofed. 



Fig. b^ is a fmaU Whelk-fhell, or Buccinum ampullatum of 

 Dr. hijitr^ brouglit from Virginia. 



