232 MANUAL OF THE MOLLtJSCA. 



VoLVARiA, Lam. 



Etymology, voi.va, a •wrapper. 

 Type, Y. buUoides, PL VII., Fig. 17. 



Shell cylindrical) convolute : spire minute ; aperture long and 

 narrow ; columella with three oblique plaits in front. 

 Distrihittion, 29 species, tropical seas. 

 Fossil, 6 ? species. Eocene. Britain, France. 



Maeginella, Lam. 



Etymology, diminutive of margo, a rim. 



Synonyms, Porcellana (Adans.), Giay. Persicula, Schum. 



Types, M. nubeculataj PI. YIL, Fig. 18. M. persicula, 

 Fig. 19. 



Shell smooth) bright; spire short or concealed; aperture 

 truncated in front ; columella plaited ; outer lip (of adult) with 

 a thickened margin. 



Animal similar to cyprsea. 



Distribution, 139 species. Tropical, West Indies, Brazil, 

 Mediterranean (1 small species), West Africa, China, Australia. 



Fossil, 30 species. Eocene—. France, &c. 



Suh-genus; Hyalina, Schum. Outer lip scarcely thickened. 



Type, voluta pallida, Montfort, West Indies. 



Family YL— Cype^id^. Cowries. 



Shell convolute, enamelled ; spire concealed ; aperture narrow, 

 channelled at each end ; outer lip (of adult) thickened, inflected. 

 No operculum. 



Animal with a broad foot, truncated in front ; mantle expanded 

 on each side, forming lobes, which meet over the back of the 

 shell ; these lobes are usually ornamented with tentacular fila- 

 ments ; eyes on the middle of the tentacles or near their base ; 

 branchial plume single. Lingual ribbon long, partly contained 

 in the visceral cavity ; rachis 1 toothed ; uncini 3. In Ovulum 

 the teeth are 2. 1. 2. the outermost broad, with pectinated 

 margins. Loven describes the Cj' prandae as having a short, non- 

 retractile muzzle, and places them between the Naticidce and 

 Lamellaria. The cowries inhabit shallow Water, near shore, 

 feeding on zoophytes. 



Cypr^a, L. Cowry. 



Etymology, Cypris, a name of Yenus. 



Typ)€8y C. tigris, C. mauritiana PL YIL, Fig. 20. 



