202 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



EUROPEAN COWRY. — APPEARANCE WHEN CRAWLING. — SUDDEN RETRAC- 

 TION. MUCH IN A LITTLE SPACE. — THE PRY OP CYPR^A. — OVULUM. 



MARGINELLA. 



CYPB^A3>^, OR COWRY TRIBE. 



I. Cypr^a EuropfBa. — We cannot here trust ourselves to 

 speak of the rich and varied beauties of the shells belonging 

 to this splendid tribe ; nor to enter into the very interesting 

 question as to whether they are periodically cast and re- 

 newed_, as affirmed by some observers ; nor attempt to ac- 

 count for some peculiar traits in their nature. Por we have 

 but one species ; that species is small and dull-coloured, and 

 it belongs to the ribbed group which has been separated 

 under the name Trivia ; so that any minute remarks on the 

 structure of the '^ Porcelain^^ shells might be inapplicable to 

 our pretty but inobtrusive httle Cowry. 



Near the edge of low water may be seen crawling on the 

 sandy flats, a narrow creature about an inch and a half long, 



