OVULA. 501 



only bluntly taper below. It is of uniform and shining- 

 pure white, both within and without, is rather thin, and 

 smooth or nearly so, exhibiting at most (and that not 

 always) a few remote and usually obscure transverse striae 

 at the extremities. The back is neither gibbous nor angu- 

 lated, but is only moderately rounded ; the slopes from 

 the middle are gradual, but convex. The aperture, which 

 occupies the entire length, is curved and narrow ; above 

 it is so contracted as to be almost linear ; below it dilates, 

 and is broadly and very bluntly rounded at the slightly 

 recurved anterior extremity. The throat is quite smooth. 

 The outer lip is simple, acute, more or less arcuated, not 

 contracted in the middle, but more perpendicular and less 

 curved below than above. The pillar lip, which is elevated, 

 twisted, and somewhat reflected, so as to appear pliciform, 

 curves to the left ; it is not particularly elongated, yet is 

 longer than the straight narrow and remarkably acute 

 point in which the body terminates posteriorly. The 

 length, which is at most the sixth of an inch, is nearly 

 thrice the extreme breadth. 



This is one of our rarest shells. We have not as yet 

 met with it alive. An observation of the animal would be 

 of great consequence, since its true generic position is as 

 yet undetermined. It has been dredged in Lamlash Bay 

 (Alder) ; Loch Fyne, off Stornoway, and at Lerwick, in 

 Scotland ; also on the Galway coast (Barlee) ; off the 

 south coast of Ireland (M'Andrew). 



It ranges to the Mediterranean. During the coralline 

 crag epoch it appears to have been abundant within our 

 area. 



