APORRIIAIS. 185 



APORRHAIS, Da Costa. 



Shell turreted, strong, variously ornamented with ribs, 

 nodules, or striae, many-whorled. Aperture when adult 

 angulated, canalieulated, with the outer margin expanded 

 and lobed or digitated ; when young, simple, and sinuously 

 angulated with a moderate canal. Operculum corneous, 

 lenticular, concentric. 



Animal with a long muzzle ; tentacles cylindric, bearing 

 eyes on prominences near their external bases ; mantle 

 digitated, loose, with a rudimentary siphon ; foot rather 

 short, angular in front, obtuse behind, not centrally 

 grooved ; operculigerous lobe simple ; branchial plume, 

 single, long ; male organ under the right tentacle, flattened, 

 curved, slender ; tongue linear " with a single median 

 denticle, and three uncini on each side, the second and third 

 elongated and simple."" * 



The name now adopted by general consent for the genus, 

 of which our common Pelican's foot shell is the type, was 

 first used and applied to it by Aldrovandus. Da Costa 

 adopted it as a generic appellation, strictly so called, but 

 extended it apparently to Strombus and Pterocera. Phi- 

 lippi was the first rightly to define the genus as now under- 

 stood, and himself to understand its characters ; he pro- 

 posed to call it Chenopus. The general adoption in the 

 majority of conchological works of the former name in- 

 duces us to prefer it, deeming that a sufficient reason for 

 the preference in this instance. The animal of Aporrhais 

 was made known by 0. F. Mliller, and afterwards by 

 Delle Chiaje. It differs essentially from Rostellaria, Strom- 



* Loven. 



