FAMILY 10. PURPURIFERA. 209 
externo reflexo, nonnunquam crenato. Operculum corneum, orbi- 
culare. 
This genus, according to priority, is entitled to the name of Morio, for 
as such it was first introduced by De Montford. Lamarck substituted 
that of Cassidaria, and it has been so universally followed, that custom 
alone sanctions the propriety of retaining it. ‘The Cassidarie, of which 
only two or three species are known, were amongst those mollusks which 
Bruguiére separated from the Linnzan Buccina under the generic title of 
Cassidea, otherwise Cassis. De Montford then selected the Cassidea echi- 
nophora as a type for the formation of this genus, and it has been deser- 
vedly adopted ; Lamarck, however, in enumerating the species, admitted 
one, the Strombus oniscus of Linneus, which we cannot but think highly 
merits the distinction that has been assigned to it by Sowerby. It has 
been elevated by that author to the rank of a genus with the name of 
Oniscia ; and although De Blainville, Deshayes, and Kiener all refuse to 
acknowledge it, its importance is generally appreciated ; the Oniscie are 
indeed more distinct from the Cassidariz, than the Cassidarie are from 
the Cassides. We believe the first of the above-named writers has now 
abandoned both of these genera; he admitted Cassidaria in his ‘ Manuel 
de Malacologie,’ but has since included it under Cassis. The Cassidariz 
are undoubtedly very closely allied to the Cassides, but there is a pecu- 
liarity of character attached to their shells which surely identifies them ; 
and we ever rely upon those characteristic symbols, which, though diffi- 
cult to be described, speak unerringly to the eye. 
The shell of Cassidaria may be described as being of an oval shape, 
with the last whorl rather ventricose, and attenuated towards the base 
into a curved canal, turning up in a posterior direction ; the aperture is 
longitudinal, and narrowed towards the lower part; the columellar lip 
is smooth, and very widely spread over the body whorl, and the outer 
lip is reflected, and sometimes crenated. The operculum is horny, and 
orbicular. 
VOL. II. To 
