20 2 Shell Life 



examples have been obtained by trawling in deep 

 water. 



The Western Top - shell (T. occidentalis) is 

 pyramidal, thin, semi-transparent, glossy, opaline, 

 with pale golden spiral ridges, and about 7 

 whorls. Animal like the last species, but with 

 usually three pairs of side appendages. The shell is 

 about half an inch high, and somewhat less across 

 the base. It has been found on the fishing banks 

 of Shetland, the Orkneys, and Aberdeenshire, in 

 deep water — 40 to 90 fathoms. 



The Granulated Top-shell {T. graniilatus) is solid 

 and opaque ; pyramidal, but with the lowest whorl 

 larger than the other nine put together, ridged 

 as in the previous species, and tapering abruptly 

 to a sharp high point. Its colour is pale yellow, 

 tinged and spotted with reddish brown. The animal 

 is similar to the foregoing, but the eyes are dark 

 blue with black pupils, and are mounted on short 

 white stalks ; side appendages three on each side. 

 In height and breadth it is about 1\ inches. It is a 

 southern species, and may be sought in the coralline 

 zone alono^ the coasts of Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, 

 and the Channel Islands, in the Isle of Man and 

 on the south and east of Ireland. The name is 

 suggested by the fact that the larger ridges have 

 their surface raised into granular points. 



The Many-grained Top-shell (T. miliaris) \^ ^\\\\\\s.v 

 to the last, but smaller, measuring only about half an 

 inch either way, and the ridges broken into granula- 

 tions by the crossing of numerous oblique grooved 

 lines. The ground colour is more white than yellow, 

 but marked witli brown and purple as in the last. 



