79 



Family II. Columellata. 



The shells are beautiful : look well upon them. 

 And think no longer that they sprang to life, 

 As radiant flowers unfold at dawn of day, 

 Instinct with beauty. Dwellers in the shells 

 Have wrought these wonders. 



The Colmtiellata are characterized by four or five con- 

 spicuous plaits winding obliquely round the columella, with 

 a notch at the base, or rather front edge of the shell, when 

 viewed in its natural position upon the animal, for the pas- 

 sage of the respiratory organ. 



Pive genera belong to this family. 



The animal inhabitant of the large Melon shells varies 

 from that of Voluta in the size and extensive muscular 

 expansion of the disc; the shells are, moreover, distin- 

 guished by their light inflated growth, and sunken papillary 

 spire, around which the whorls are elevated, with their sum- 

 mit sometimes concavely flattened, sometimes coronated 

 with a diadem of vaulted scales. One or two species are 

 found in Australia; but the chief portion are from the 

 coast of Africa. They burrow in the sand at low water, 

 and live mostly concealed from view. 



