190 



AURICULTD^. 



The animals of this tribe of Pulmonifera live, for the 

 most part, in damp places, many of them on the imme- 

 diate margin of the sea, so as to be moistened by the 

 spray, or among salt marshes. Hence, not a few were 

 for a long time believed to be inhabitants of the sea, and 

 their shells were assigned to well-known marine genera. 

 They have broad but not widely lobed muzzles, bearing 

 two subtriangular, cylindrical, or subulate contractile ten- 

 tacula, with eyes at their inner bases or none. In their 

 dentition they approach the Limnmadw, having similar 

 numerous uncinated teeth flanking a small symmetrical 

 central one. Their foot is ovate, and obtuse behind ; it 

 bears no operculum. Their mantle is not reflected upon 

 the shell, and is simple-edged ; on the right side is the 

 aperture of the pulmonary sac. They are bisexual (except 

 Carychium ?). 



Some of the tropical members of this tribe attain con- 

 siderable dimensions. All have volutiform shells, very 

 generally with denticulated apertures. In our native 

 species the septa of the whorls in the spire become 

 absorbed, so that the visceral extremity of the body ceases 

 to be truly spiral. 



CONOVULUS. Lamarck. 



Shell spiral, ovate, usually thin ; spire moderate]}- pro- 

 duced. Aperture ovate or pyriform, entire, toothed within 



