Whelks and Conelets 259 



Connemara, Bantiy Bay, Dublin Bay, and County 

 Antrim. 



The Spindle-shells (Chrysodomus) are well repre- 

 sented in our seas by seven species. With the Whelks 

 (Biiccmiiin) they constitute the British section of the 

 family Buccinidce. This family is distinguished by 

 havinof the central tooth of the radula armed with 

 from 5 to 7 stout points, and the lateral teeth 

 with 2 or 3 cusps. They have a rather long siphon, 

 eyes at the outer base of the tentacles, a thick 

 spindle - shaped shell closed by a small horny oper- 

 culum. The Eed Whelk or Buckie {C. antiqua) 

 has a solid yellowish or reddish shell with dull sur- 

 face marked with slight spiral ridges. The thin 

 epidermis has nearly always worn away. It occurs 

 nearly all round our islands, in the coralline zone, 

 but in Shetland it comes into the laminarian zone 

 and descends into deep water below the coralline. 

 The animal is largely used as bait in the long-line 

 fishery, and as human food. Fleming tells us how 

 the cottagers of Shetland make use of the shell as an 

 elegant lamp by suspending it horizontally, filling it 

 with oil, and allowing a wick to lie in the canal, 

 the lighted portion protruding. It owes its name 

 antiqua to the fact that it is plentiful as a fossil in 

 the Craof, where also the " reversed " form with the 

 left-handed spiral is found. Ordinary specimens are 

 betAveen 3 and 4 inches in length, with a breadth of 

 2 inches, but occasionally they may be found as long 

 as 8 inches. The eggs are deposited enclosed in 

 pouch-like capsules, flat on the lower, convex on the 

 upper side, and these are attached one to another 

 in overlapping clusters. The Wide-mouthed Whelk 



