W)0 GENUS XXI. CYPR^A. 



and Murices; for in the Cyprfece the small shells are always 

 found as complete, /. e. with the aperture or mouth as perfectly 

 formed as the larger ones of the same species. 



There are sometimes fovmd some very thin shells with a 

 twisted pillar, a little resembling in shape Bulla Ficiis (^pl. 5. 

 /. 61, c) ; these are supposed to be the young and imperfectly 

 formed shells of the Cypr<ea soon after casting the others, and 

 to have been mistaken sometimes by authors for a distinct 

 species : perhaps Conus bullatus of Linnaeus is one of these. 

 Adanson describes one (p. 75) somewhat similar, which lie 

 calls Potan ; he says it is the most thin and brittle shell of any 

 that is found in the sea ; he describes the animal as resembling 

 the animal of the Cyprcea, but not as being the same ; he also 

 says it is somewhat like the animal of Valuta glabella, &c. - 

 but he seems not to know, or even suspect, that the Cypreeee 

 change their shells. More information on this subject is much 

 to be desired, pai'ticularly as tliis circumstance is not known 

 or supposed to take place in any other genus of shells. 



This genus is very distinct from every other. The essential 

 character is the apertui'e toothed on both sides, with a hollow 

 at each end. 



The animal is a land of Snail with two horns (p/. b.f. 61. a), 

 which aie somewhat conical, tapering to a very fine point ; 

 they are about one-third as long as the shell ; the eyes are on 

 the exterior side, at about one-fifth of their length from the 

 base ; the breathing tube is very short, not extending beyond 

 the shell (^pl. 5. /. 61. a) ; but what is most remarliable is a 



