2fi 



C O N C H O L O G Y. 



value ; fome kinds, as the admir.ils, &c. have borne afto- 

 iiilhing prices when perfect; and Hie cedo iniUi is lb ex- 

 tremely rare and beautiful, that this (hell alone has been 

 rated at the prodigious Cum of one hundred guineas ! See 

 Conchology-I'late VI. for this great curiofity. 



The volutes are fliells of a pyramidal or conic fliape ; 

 the bafe is fiat and wide, and the body rifes gradually 

 into a fliarp point at the top. The turban is tiie bale, 

 and all the whirls are dilfinguiflicd by flight linear pro- 

 minences : fome kinds have this bafe quite flat, or a per- 

 fefl helix; in others it prolongs into a (harp clavicle, as 

 in the imperial crown, and many other fimilar fpecies. 

 However, theii; differences of the turban, or clavicle, are 

 not effential enough to caufe a fubdivifion into differ- 

 ent genera ; though Davila's fecond genus of vo- 

 lutes which he calls I'oulraux, is formed on thefe differ- 

 ences. The aperture of the volutes runs the whole length 

 of the flieil ; it is fo extremely narrow as to he linear, be- 

 ing all slong of an equal breadth. The volutes have no 

 inner lip. 



Dr. Litter calls the volutes rhonibi, or ftrombi cylin- 

 dro-jiyramidales. Linnieus makes the volutes and cones 

 two diltinfl: genera. In the genus conus he places the 

 ino(f convoluted and turbinated of thefe (liells ; and adapts 

 the name of voluta to the mitres, cylindars, and other 

 fpirai univalves, that have their pillar plaited or wrinkled. 

 Gualtieri calls them cochleae conoidere, or cochleje loii^ 

 ga?j and moft other authors, as Rumphius, Argenville, 

 &c. make a diltind: genus of them, by the e(tab!i(hed 

 name of voluta. Correft figures of tbefe (hells are exhi- 

 bited in the annexed engravings. 



GLOBOSviE, OR GLOBULAR SHELLS. 



The eleventh family conlifts of (liells of a fomewhat 

 globofe iTiape; the bcdy being greatly fvveiled, or round- 

 ed, from whence they acquire the name of globofe, or 

 tuns. They )iave fliort turbans ; the mouth is extremely 

 patulous or wiile, and very large; the upper part of it 

 «nds in a wry channel, like a foal's mouth, which is very 

 fiiort, and turns backwards. None have a pillar or colu- 

 mella lip ; though in fome, as the Perfian crowns and 

 melons, the columella or pillar itfelf is wrinkled or 

 plaited. 



The .'pecies which comprife this family, .are the tuns, 

 Jmrtridge?, ligs, harps, Peilian crowns, and melons. The 

 rank of this family, in fyWematical authors, is, that Li(fer 

 J>laces thofe with a wrinkled or plaited pi'dar, as the Per- 

 iian crowns, &r.. among his whelks of the fanieltrufture; 

 the tuns and figs aTicag his buccina ampuUaccre; and 

 the partridges, in a leparate clafs. Linuasus likewile 

 places thole with a wrinkled or plaited pillar, on account 

 of that (trufture, in the genus voluta ; and the partridges, 

 Inns, harps, &c. among his buccina. Ruuiphius calls 

 ?:hem cochlese globoliej as does Arf;enville, who makes 

 them his fourteenth family ; -Davila his ninth family, 

 and divides them into three genera ; Gualtieri has placed 

 the figs as cochlese pyriformes ; and the tuns he calls coch- 

 ieje cafTidiformes, and caflida. This family is not very 

 numerous; but contains many extremely beautiful and 

 curious (liells; fome of which are correctly figured in 'the 

 copper-plates. 



CASSIDES, OR HELMET-FORMED SHELLS. 



The twelfth family is the cafiidcs, or helmets. Thefe 

 are ihells femi-giobo(e, the back being very convex or 

 round, the under, or mouth part, flat. They have either flat 

 or very (liort clavicles or turbans. The mouth is long, ra- 

 ther narrow, and ends at the top in a gutter, which turns 

 very large, Itrong, and wry on the back; the lip is always 

 ftnongl.y and thickly toothed, and rifes into a high thick 

 border, or ledge, on the upper part oi back ; and the pil- 

 lar is moll .geueraliy Itrongly toothed, ridged, or let with 

 fuiall humps or afperities. 



Some fyitematical authors have agreed with Da Ccfta 

 in making a dilbnit or particular family of thtlc Ihelh, 



and call them callidcs. Such are Rumphius, Meufche.i,, 

 and Gualtieri. Linnaeus ranks tliem as buccina; Ar- 

 genville and Davila as murices ; and Liller among hiii 

 buccina, by the name of bellied or fwelled whelks, with, 

 a wry mouth. This genus is not numerous; but IbmR 

 of the fpecies are extremely large ;uid heavy. See the 

 annexed engraving. 



TROCHI, OR. TOP-LIKE SHELLS. 



The thirteenth family is the tiochi or tops. Thefe 

 are (heiis of a conic or pyramidal (hape, the top being 

 broad and fl.ittilh, and gradually tapering thence to a 

 very (harp point. The aperture, or mouth, is nioft gene- 

 rally angular, low, and narrow. It is remarkable, that 

 all the authors who have written on conchology agree in 

 this genus, and in its charadfers ; lb that few trochi are 

 found milphiced. It is a very numerous family, and., 

 abounds with curJiTus and elegant (litlh. 



There is a folfil fpecies of trochus, which feems yet 

 undifcovered in a recent Itate. It is a large kind, flat- 

 tifh, and like a cochlea helix, generally about two inches 

 in diameter, and (trougly and thickly wrinkled, with 

 (harp prominent ridges like plates, which are fp ked at 

 regular diftances; thefe run acrofs the I'pires; but the 

 whole (hell is likewife llightlv Itriated. This trochus is 

 found in the limellone of Co.albrookdale, in Shropfliire ; 

 and Dudley, in Staffordfliire. Figures of ditferent fpecies. 

 of the trochus are delineated in the annexed engraving. 



COCHLE-ffi, OR SNAIL-SHELLS. 



The fourteerrth family confifts of the cochlese, or fnails ; 

 the character of which is a round mouth, or approaching- 

 theixto, perfectly bordered, circumfcribed, or defined, 

 (ore itilegro.) This family is divided into five genera;. 

 viz. I. Nerits, or fnails with femicircular mouths. 2. He- 

 lices, or fnails that are flattifli, and whofe fpires lie, as it 

 were, between two plains or levels. 3. Snails with a fliort 

 or flat turban. 4.. Turbo, or fnails with a produced or 

 lengthened turban ; hence called tarbiiies. 5. Cochlese 

 ftrombiformes, or fnails whofe turbans are extremely long 

 and fleuder. All thefe we (hall (cparately- defcribe. 



' NERITA, THE NERIT. 



The nerits are (hells wTicfe mouths are a half circle,, 

 the columella or inner lip running diametrically acrofs 

 it in a ftr?.ight line. This lip is very broad or faced, and 

 extends greatly on the columella. They are very full- 

 bodied (hells, nearly globofe; and the turban is never 

 much produced, but lies flat or level with the bottom. 

 The nerits are generally toothed on both lips. 



The a.Tangetncnt of this genus iu all authors is near to • 

 or with the fnails ; and they are muft generally called ne- 

 rits. Rumpliius calls them cochlere valvals, and by many 

 they are called fcmilunares. The fpecies of this genus- 

 are very numerous, admit of great v.ariety, and are gene- 

 rally beautiful (hells. 



There is found, in a calcareous fnbftance in France, a 

 large kind of folTil nerit, called limpet-Iike neriis. It is a 

 very thick (hell, flze of an apricot, and rather flattifh. 

 The upper fide is a fine chefnut brown, fomewhat con- 

 vex, and tAi to a knob or point which is not central, 

 but placed fideways. It is this upper fide that refembles 

 a limpet. The under part is milk white, fiatlifh, and 

 round ; the mouth femicircular, the inner lip rifes or 

 fwells, expands or faces quite to the upper fide, and is 

 armed with two ftrong teeth. It is a very curious fpe- 

 cies, and is fiill undilcovered in a recent Hate from the 

 fea. Several fcarce and beautiful fpecies of the nerit are 

 given in the annexed copper-plate, from Albertus Seba. 



The HELIX, or SPIRAL SNAIL. 



The eflisntial character of this genus is, that they are 

 molt generally round-mouthed fnails, whofe fpirts lie ho- 

 rizontal, or between two levels. IVIoll of them, being 

 land or frelh-water (hells, are placed by Lifter among, the 



tcrxelhial 



