OF CONCHOLOGY. 181 



Vermetus, he showed that the radiating or spiral striae, in like 

 manner, should be denominated vertical, and those which 

 crossed the single whorls or the concentric lines of growth 

 longitudinal stride; that, in reality, the longitudinal diameter of 

 a shell was the width of the largest whorl at its aperture, and 

 its altitude the length of the unrolled spiral ; and thus the 

 terms used in the description of all shells become identical for 

 analogous parts. For convenience, however, we may speak of 

 the altitude of the spire as distinct from that of the shell, and 

 so of its length ; the anterior extremity and other relative 

 terms were to be determined in this, as in the other instances, 

 by the relation of the shell to the animal when in motion ; and 

 the parts enclosed by the spiral shell should be regarded as 

 simply a hernia of the viscera through the back of the animal. 



" There were other terms also, which he showed to be un- 

 suitable, having been derived from a false idea of use, or from 

 a fanciful analog}". Thus, the mouth, and throat, and teeth, 

 and lips of a shell are spoken of, which terms might be allow- 

 able, were it not that there is an animal in all cases which 

 should properly be considered in the full description, and 

 which has all these parts performing their legitimate offices. 

 He pursued the subject in this direction with various examples 

 and suggestions." — Proceedings Boston Society of Natural 

 History, 1865. 



We are very glad that Dr. Gould has called attention to the 

 careless misappropriation of descriptive terms by modern Con- 

 chologists, and trust that every author will hereafter carefully 

 select the best, and, at the same time, most descriptive names 

 for the different external features of shells. There are many 

 cases of error that will readily occur to our readers besides 

 those particularized above. One of the most lamentable is 

 the indiscriminate use of terms of different signification in 

 describing the form of shells. Thus, the same shell may be 

 described as fusiform, pupasforni, conical, sub-cylindrical, ele- 

 vated, etc., apparently without any idea of the real meaning of 

 those terms. 



Curious Distortion in the Shell op Physa hetero- 

 stropha. — Through the kindness of Mr. Chas. M. Wheatley, 

 we have had the opportunity to examine a few specimens, 

 half-grown, of the above species. They were collected by 

 Rev. E. C. Bolles at Cape Elizabeth, Maine. He writes re- 

 specting them: "It occurs in great numbers in a little arm of 

 a pond that is the habitat of large and fine specimens of the 

 same shell ; perhaps half the little Physas are distorted as you 

 see ; the others are well formed." 



