]02 



UNIVAJUVES. 



HALIOTIS. 



Costata. 



Quadricolor. 



Malaccenaiis. 



Antillarum. 



Flanimea. 



Fulgurans. 



Tessellata. 



Bifasciata. 



Literata. 



Violacea, 



Senegalensis. 



Promontorii. 



Tricolor. 



Perversa. 



Turrita. 



Aculeata. 



HALIOTIS.— Sea-ear or Ear-Shell. 



Animal^a Limax: Shell univalve, dilated, ear-shaped, 

 with a longitudinal row of orifices along the surface; 

 spire lateral, and nearly concealed. 



Of this beautiful genus there are but nineteen species; 

 and their general, form and appearance are so similar, 

 that it often becomes a matter of difficulty to distinguish 

 the one from the other. All the Haliotides are shaped 

 something like the human ear, except one, which by 

 way of distinction is called the Haliotis Asinum, or Ass's- 

 ear, on account of its being much more elongated or dis- 

 tended than any of the other species. 



There are three reasons which operate to create diffi- 

 culty in the arrangement of the different species of this 

 genus: — First, the outside of the shell is generally loaded 

 with marine substances, or else is so much decayed or 

 worn, as not to offer a lineament of the original texture; 

 thereby precluding all possibility of judging by the work 

 or color to what spedes it appertains. Secondly, as the 

 interior of all Haliotides is enamelled with a magnificent 



