238 MANUAL OF THE MOLLUSCA, 



Distribution, 4 species. Britain, Norway, North America, 

 Icy Sea to Kamtscliatka. 



Fossil, 3 species. Pliocene — . Britain. 



Sub-genus. Otina (Gray). V. otis. 



Shell minute, ear-sliaped. 



Animal with a simple mantle, and very short tentacles. 

 West and south-west British coast ; inhabiting chinks of rocks, 

 between tide-marks. (Forbes.) 



Velutina inhabits the laminarian zone, and ranges to 40 

 fathoms. V. kevigata is sometimes brought in on the fishermen's 

 lines (off Northumberland), generally adhering to Alcyonium 

 digitatum (Alder). Dr. Gould obtained it from the stomach of 

 fishes. 



Cryptocella. H. and A. Adams, 1853. 



Shell thin, pellucid, calcareous ; spire small ; aperture large. 



Family II — PYRAMiDELLiDiE. 



Shell spiral turreted ; nucleus minute, sinistral ; aperture 

 small ; columella sometimes with one or more prominent plaits; 

 operculum horny, imbricated, nucleus internal. 



Animal with broad, ear-shaped tentacles, often connate; 

 eyes behind the tentacles at their bases ; proboscis retractile ; 

 foot truncated in front ; tongue unarmed. Species all marine. 

 They are very numerous in the Japanese seas. 



Several genera of fossil shells are provisionally placed in 

 this order, from their resemblance to eulima and chemnitzia* 

 Tornatella, usually placed in or near this family, is opistho^ 

 branchiate. 



Pyramidella, Lam. 



Etymology, diminutive of pyramis, a pyramid. 



Synonyms, Obeliscus. Humphrey. (P. dolabrata. PI. VIII., 

 Fig. 11.) Syrnola, Adams, 1860. 



Type, P. auris-cati. PI. VIII., Fig. 10. 



Shell slender, pointed, with numerous plaited or level whorls ; 

 apex sinistral ; columella with several plaits ; lip sometimes 

 furrowed internally ; operculum indented on the inner side to 

 adapt it to the columellar plaits. The shell of the typical 

 pyramidellse bears some resemblance to cancellaria. 



* " The Pyramidellida present subjects of much interest to the student of extinct 

 moUusca ; numerous forms, bearing all the aspect of being members of tliis family, 

 occur among the fossils of even the oldest stratified rocks. Many of them are gigantic 

 compared with existing species, and the group, as a wliole, may be regarded rather aa 

 appertaining to past ages thau the present epoch,"— /•ord/c*. 



