LACHESIS. 377 



Animal with converging tentacles ; siphon very short ; 

 foot short ovate. 



The above characters are quite insufficient, yet must be 

 adopted provisionally until more is known about the very 

 puzzling little shell, commonly called Buccinum minimmn. 

 It clearly does not belong to any of our well characterised 

 genera of British Muricidte^ and even its position in this 

 family is doubtful. The Lachesis of Risso is evidently this 

 shell. His Aima to which Mr. Gray has assigned it, was 

 founded for a fossil possibly nearly allied. The genus is 

 probably a littoral and laminarian group. 



L. MINIMA, Montagu. 



Plate CI. fig. 7, 8. 



Buccituiin minimum, Mont. Test. Brit. p. 247, pi. 8, f. 2 ; Suppl. p. 109. — 

 Maton and Rack. Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. viil. p. 139. 

 — TuRT. Conch. Diction, p. 18. — Macgilliv. Moll. 

 Aberd. p. 344. — Dillw. Recent Shells, vol. i. p. 639. — 

 Wood, Index Testaceolog. pi. 24, f. 122. — Blaixville, 

 Faune Franq. Moll. p. 175. — Philippi, Moll. Sicil. vol. i. 

 p. 222, and vol. ii. p. 189, pi. 27, f. 9. 

 „ hruymeum, DoNov. Brit. Shells, vol. v. pi. 179, f. 2. 

 Nestsa granulnta, Risso, H. N. Europe Merid. vol. iv. p. 223, f. 67. 



„ mamillata, Risso, H. N. Europe Merid. vol. iv. p. 223, f. 69 ? 

 Murex Massena, Delle Chiaje, Memorie Anim. s. Vert. vol. iii. pi. 49, 



f. 17. 18, 19. 

 Fusus minimus, Fleming, Brit. Animals, p. 350. — Brit. Marine Conch, p. 204. 

 „ turriteUatus, Desk. Exped. Moree Zool. p. 174, pi. 19, f. 28, 29, 30, 43, 

 44, 45 ; Anim. sans Vert. vol. ix. p. 473. 

 Buccinum rubrum, Potiez and Mich. Gal. Douai, Moll. p. 381, pi. 32, f. 17, 18. 

 Nassa minima, Brou'n, Illust. Conch. G. B. p. 5, pi. 4, f. 25, magnified. 

 Fusus suhnigris, Brown, Illust. Conch. G. B. p. 7, pi. 5, f. 58, 59, probably. 



This little shell has the general aspect of a Cerithium. 

 It is turreted above, abbreviated semifusiform below, is 

 strong, a little shining, and both within and without is of 

 an uniform blackish chocolate colour when the animal is 

 alive, but turns rufous after death. The strong and 



VOL. III. 3 c 



