n 



BUCCINUM crispatum. 

 TAB. CCCCXIII. 



Spec. Char. Ovate-acuminated, roughened by 

 imbricated concave scales, placed upon 

 numerous, close, transverse carina? ; whorls 

 convex ; lip subdentated ; beak subcanali- 

 culated. 



Syn. Purpura imbricata? JLam. Hist. ±Sdt. 

 VII. 557. P. Lapillus ? Lam. env. de Paris, 

 36. 



iJucciNUM Lapillus of Linneus, of which the recent 

 Purpura imbricata is commonly considered as only a 

 rough variety, is so exactly like the more antient species 

 before us, that it is difficult to point out any difference ; 

 they are all subject to much variation in the length of 

 the spire, and size of the carinas ; still it seems that in 

 all the varieties of the recent species, the last whorl 

 bears a larger proportion to the spire, than it does in the 

 corresponding varieties of the fossil ; the latter has also 

 a more contracted beak, and no flat space between the 

 carinae : in the recent species there is coumionly one 

 large and one small carina alternately, with flat spaces 

 between them ; but in the fossil the small carina en- 

 crease in number with age, so as constantly to till the 

 space between the larger ones. 



Whether or not the above observations be sufficient 

 to prove the Shell before us to be a distinct species, it is 

 certainly desirable to have a distinguishing name for it 

 as a fossil. The doubt attached to Lamarck's Synony- 

 ma, only arises from my not having seen an authentic 

 specimen. 



Very abundant in many parts of the Norfolk and 

 Suffolk Crag. 



Fig. 1 shews a rare very short variety ; fig. 2 has one 

 of the carinae very conspicuous ;^<7. 3 the usual habit. 



There is much difficulty and uncertainty in fixing 

 the Genera of Shells formerly called Buccina and 

 Murices ; at present we have called the shells before 

 us Buccina, but it may hereafter be necessary to sepa- 

 rate them from that Genus, especially the first, the lip 

 of which is like that of some species of the Genus Fusus, 

 or Cerithium, and even approaches Pieurotoraa. 



