IIALIOTIS. 487 



moderately elevated ; the apex is generally more or less 

 prominent. The internal nacre is soft and silvery ; it 

 is iridescent, but does Jiot sparkle with those rich and 

 brilliant hues that adorn some of the exotic Ear-shells ; 

 neither is there any peculiar stain beneath the spire, only 

 a single coil of which is visible from within. The outer 

 lip is more or less arched ; the inner lip, or pillar, is 

 moderately broad, rather flattened, and not much attenu- 

 ated at its termination. Our largest specimen measures 

 three inches and three quarters in breadth, and two inches 

 and a half across from side to side. 



The animal is variously tinted with tints of brown, 

 green, white, and salmon colour. The head and tentacula 

 are brown, the eye-peduncles white, the eyes blue. The 

 lateral cirrhi, which thickly fringe the side lobes, are 

 greenish and brownish ; the side-lobes themselves striped 

 alternately with brown and greenish white. The sides 

 of the foot are dark greenish brown ; its disk, which is 

 rounded at each extremity, of a salmon colour. 



This handsome shell is an inhabitant of the very verge 

 of the littoral zone, living near and under rocks and 

 stones. It takes its place in the British Fauna solely 

 on account of its presence in the Channel Islands, where 

 it is abundant, and known by the name of Ormer. It is 

 cooked for food, after being well beaten to render it 

 tender. A more important use of it is in the making 

 of the mother-of-pearl ornaments which constitute so 

 much of the beauty of works in papier mache. Great 

 quantities of Haliotis are brought to Birmingham for this 

 purpose. 



This Haliotis has at various times been published as 

 an inhabitant of difterent parts of England and Ireland. 

 There can be no question that the instances alluded to 



