98 ANCILLA. CONUS. 



nevertheless they are beautiful, and of various 

 colours. 



^' The columella is obliquely striated ; the 

 aperture longitudinal and straight. The olives 

 were placed by Linnasus among the Voiutce, on 

 account of the stria? on the columella, without 

 regard to the peculiarity of the canal, by which 

 the olives are known from all other shells. This 

 canal separates the volutions of Oliva. Many 

 species are prettily marked by nature, others are 

 rendered handsome by polishing. O. subidata 

 is small, and pointed like a mitre. The common 

 olive is white, with brown, waved lines. O. ir- 

 risafis is ornamented with yellow zigzag lines : 

 it has two brown zones. O. oriza, the little rice- 

 olive, is white. 



" I should have noticed the small genus An- 

 cilla^ formerly Ancillaria, which is very near 

 both to Terehellum and Oliva. The columella 

 has a varix at the base, which distinguishes it 

 from Terehelhiyn,) and it wants the canal which 

 separates the volutions of Oliva. 



" There are several fossil species. 



" The concluding genus of the third order is 

 very large, and contains rare and costly shells. 

 This is Conus, scarcely to be mistaken for any 

 other genus except Voluta, and that only at a 

 first glance. 



'' The species are covered with an epidermis, 



