SUCCINEA. 59 



Genus SUCCINEA, Draparnaud. 



GENERIC CHARACTERS. 



Animal. Resembling the animal oi Helix, but shorter. 

 Superior tentacles short, expanded at their base or co- 

 noid ; inferior pair very short and small. Respiratory 

 foramen in the mantle, in the angle at the posterior part 

 of the aperture of the shell. 



Shell. Shell ovate-conic, generally amber-colored, 

 thin, translucent ; periostraca smooth and shining. 

 Whorls about three, increasing rapidly from the apex 

 to the aperture ; the last whorl comprising three-fourths 

 of the volume of the shell ; spire pointed. Aperture 

 very large, longer than -wide, a httle oblique, rounded 

 anteriorly and angular behind. Peristome thin, acute, 

 not reflected. Axis imperforate. 



Geographical Distribution. The species of this 

 genus inhabit nearly all the temperate regions of the 

 earth, and portions of the intertropical countries and 

 islands. At the Navigator and Friendly Islands they 

 are quite numerous. They are found in nearly every 

 part of the United States and of North America. 



Remarks. The genus includes a natural group of 

 mollusks, which affords in the characters of the shell, 

 the means of readily distinguishing it from other genera, 

 and yet hardly supplies stnictural differences in the ani- 

 mal sufficient to authorize its removal from Helix. It 



