TOPS AND TURBANS 



225 



epidermis which obscures the beauty of the shell, 

 which is richly painted with little zigzag stripes of 

 red, brown and white. There is also a little white, 

 solid operculum, almost hemispherical in shape, the 

 convex side being outward. The length of the whole 

 shell is from 3 to 6 millimeters. 



Astr(Za undo- 

 sa, Wood, {Fo- 

 maulax iind o- 

 sus), the Wavy 

 Topshell, F i g- 

 ure 21 8, is a 

 southern species, 

 which some- 

 times grows to a 

 great size. The 

 whorls are 

 crossed and va- 

 ried with numerous wavy ridges, and the base is 

 ornamented with beaded circles. The shell is of 

 whitish pearl and is covered with a brown, fibrous 

 epidermis. The operculum is horny within, while 

 the shelly outer part is strengthened by two heavy, 

 curved ribs. The cut represents a medium sized 

 specimen, but they are sometimes as much as four 

 inches in height. 



Astrcza inczqualis^ Mart., {Pachypoma incz- 

 quale), the Red Top-shell, Figure 219, has a big, 

 strong, brick-red shell, with a hard operculum, some- 

 what like that of the last species, but lacking the 

 ribs. Living specimens are seldom found near the 

 shore, but dead shells, somewhat broken, are often 



Fig. 218 



