390 MURICIDiE. 



ever, whose entrance is guarded on the right side by 

 several (from eight to twelve generally) tubercular ereiue 

 that are frequently produced into short spiral lyrfc, or 

 raised strings, often exhibits traces of the external colour- 

 ing. The outer lip, which is solid, though not varicose, is 

 bevelled to a sharpish edge ; it is not much arcuated 

 above, but is well rounded below, where, although not 

 prickly, it is somewhat scalloped by the external sulci ; 

 when prominent — which is not usually the case — it is 

 disposed to become patulous, otherwise it is simple. The 

 canal tube or basal exposed portion of the columella is 

 merely corded in a spiral direction. The pillar lip seems 

 to vary as to its reflection ; sometimes it stands almost 

 erect, sometimes (and more generally) it is flatly appressed : 

 the posterior pad, so usual in this genus, is almost obso- 

 lete. A few scattered inconspicuous nodulous elevations 

 may be traced on the pillar lip. " The largest shells are 

 an inch and a-half long, and nearly three-quarters wide at 

 the base."" (Mont.) 



The animal is of a general yellowish hue, speckled with 

 tawny and black, especially on the siphon, and mottled 

 also with flaky ochraceous and white spots. The head is 

 crescentic, with long acute filiform tentacula bearing the 

 eyes on the thickenings at rather more than a third from 

 their bases. The foot is broad and much expanded, reach- 

 ing to the middle of the second whorl, anteriorly truncated 

 with reflexed angles, posteriorly deeply emarginate and 

 produced into two caudal filaments of moderate length, 

 which, when the animal creeps, are reflected or borne 

 upright. The operculum is somewhat lanceolate. 



This species, which is generally distributed through the 

 European seas, is too common around our shores to require 

 an enumeration of its localities. It inhabits the verge of 



