CYPR.^A.— Cowry oji Gowrie. 



Animal— a Slug: Shell univalve^ involutCt subovate^ 

 smootht obtuse at each end ; aperture effuse at each endy li- 

 near^ extending the ivhole length of the shelly and toothed on 

 each side. 



This beautiful genus contains no less than a hundred 

 and twenty species, and these may again be subdivided 

 into many hundred varieties. The Cypraeae are, however, 

 much of the same formation, tliough their colorings, mark- 

 ings, and workings, are amazingly dissimilar; the greater 

 part of them are smooth glossy shells, of exquisite bril- 

 liancy of color, and elegantly marked with dots, zigzag 

 lines, undulations, streaks, &c. Such are the Cypraea 

 Mappa (Map Cowry), the Cypraea Argus (Thousand 

 Eyes), and the Cypraea Testudinaria (Tortoise-shell Cow- 

 rie). To these may be added the Cypraea Vitellus (Fal- 

 low-deer Cowrie), the Carneola (Carnelian), the Talpa 

 (Mole), and others of the like description. 



There are other smaller sorts of Cypraeae, however, 

 wliich are completely opposed to the last mentioned, ex- 

 cept in the general form, and in having their mouth run 

 the whole length of the shell: those which come under 

 this denomination are such as the Cypraea Nucleus, Ci- 



