194 WEST COAST SHELLS 



equally toward either end. The aperture is very long, 

 the outer lip thickened, the spire concealed, and the 

 sculpturing microscopic. The color is pink, and the 

 length is rather less than an inch. It is found spar- 

 ingly at Monterey, Santa Barbara, and elsewhere. 



A small species, usually of a purple color, is 

 named Ovula variabilis^ C. B. Ad., the Variable 

 Ovula. It is probable that there are still other 

 species or varieties of this difficult genus. 



We have two other species somewhat re- 

 sembling the cowries. The first is named 

 Erato vitellina^ Hds., the Veally Erato, 

 shown in Figure 187. The shell is pear- 

 Fig. 187 shaped, or rather balloon-shaped, and it 

 is quite smooth. It is of a dark reddish-brown color, 

 though the toothed margin of the aperture is white. 

 The ordinary length of the shell is about half an 

 inch. Really good specimens are not numerous. 



Erato columbella^ Mke., the Dove Erato, 

 Figure 188, is very small and delicate, but is 

 well worth searching for. As shown in the 

 figure it has a visible, but short spire, and a 

 long aperture with toothed lips. These are white, 

 but the back is olive-brown. Dead shells may be 

 rather frequently found, and living specimens have 

 been obtained at low tide. 



Figure 189 gives us an enlarged view of 

 Cerithiopsis tuberculata^ Mont., the Tubercu- 

 lated Horn-shell. This pretty little species 

 has a small shell, about the length of the cross 

 Fig. 189 shown in the figure. The spire consists of six 



