148 BUCCINIDA. 
operculum, but the figure given by him shows an operculum 
which is no more curved than occurs sometimes in the genus 
Sipho, for example. This, with the dentition, indicates relation- 
ship with Neptunea, but the absence of a canal in the shell, on the 
other hand, relates it to Buccinum. 
VoLuTHarPA, Fischer. 
Distr.—i sp. Japan, Siberia, Sitka. V. Perryi, Jay (1, 32). 
Shell ventricose, thin; spire short, body-whorl and aperture 
very large. Operculum usually wanting; when present, at first 
with apical nucleus, afterwards becoming annular. 
This little group of mollusks is confined in distribution to the 
North Pacific Ocean, its metropolis being Japan. Three of the 
species were originally described as Bullia, from which genus it 
differs in its simple foot and in possessing eyes as well as in 
dentition. The form and porcellanous texture of the shell are 
like Bullia, and serve to separate it from Buecinum. Mr. 
Arthur Adams says that the animal is like Buccinum, of a white 
color sparsely sprinkled with black on the head, foot and 
siphon; the tentacles are broad, close together at the base, and 
rather short, with the eyes on the outer side, near the middle ; 
the siphon is thick and short, and the foot is fleshy and simple 
behind. 
“The ova-capsules of Volutharpa are not at all like those of 
Buccinum, but rather like those of Fulgur, though smaller, con- 
sisting of disk-like capsules, united by one edge to a ribbon or 
stalk. They contain from eight to twelve embryos, which attain 
the length of one-half inch, and a shell of two whorls, which, 
except in the absence of epidermis, essentially resembles the 
adult. The first whorl, however, is whitish and amorphous, and 
very fragile ; it is large for the size of the embryo, and is invari- 
ably lost in shells which have attained maturity. The remainder 
of the embryonic shell is translucent purplish red, or wine-color, 
with revolving lines. I found the embryos on the point of 
escaping from the ova-capsules in September. The disks of the 
capsules are three-quarters of an inch in diameter and two-tenths 
of an inch thick, with the edges perpendicular to the top and 
bottom, and the angles serrate or furnished with slight coriaceous 
projecting points.’””—DaA.t. 
CuLANipota, Martens. 
Distr.—_C. vestita, Martens (1, 33). Kerguelen’s Island. 
Shell subglobose, thin, spirally costate. Operculum with apical 
nucleus. Dentition : middle plate with five teeth, the outer ones 
much smaller, laterals with three teeth, the middle one smallest, 
the outer one somewhat smaller than the inner. 
