Family EULIMID^. 



Animal with slender, subulate tentacles and eyes sessile at 

 their outer bases, proboscis retractile, invaginate, when extended 

 very long, mouth without jaw or radula ; foot elongated, pro- 

 duced in front, mantle with anterior rudimentary siphonal fold. 



Shell small, generally elongated, subulate or turriculated, 

 shining, polished, with spire usually curved or distorted ; aper- 

 ture oval, pyriforra, entire, with simple lip, the columellar margin 

 more or less thickened. Operculum corneous, paucispiral, some- 

 times absent. 



This familj', together with the Turbinellidne and Pyramidellidae 

 which follow it in the present volume of monographs, constitutes 

 the division Gymnoglossa of Gray, including proboscidiferous 

 moUusks having no radula ; the Solariidiie and Cancellariidpe, also 

 originally included therein, have radulae and are otherwise related 

 more closely to different groups. 



But little is known of the animals of these little shells; it is 

 not certain, but probable that the sexes are separated. The}' 

 creep with the foot much in advance of the head, which is usu- 

 ally concealed within the aperture of the shell, the tentacles only 

 protruding. They are more or less parasitic on sea-urchins, 

 holothurians, etc. The small size of the shells, absence of color 

 in most of the groups, and of sculpture, make the discrimination 

 of species somewhat difficult. 



The Eulimidse have been monographed by Arthur Adams, 

 Thes. Conchyliorum, ii, 793-805. G. B. Sowerb}'^, Reeve's Con- 

 chologia Iconica, xv, 18 species, 1866. 



Synopsis of Genera. 

 Genus EULIMA, Risso, 1826. 

 Shell im.perforate, subulate, many-whorled, polished, porcel- 

 lanous, spire usually curved or twisted to one side, bearing on 

 one side onlj', a series of varices forming ribs internally and 

 marking the position of successive mouths, apex acute ; aperture 

 oval, entire, pointed above, rounded below, the lip simple, a little 



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