UNIVALVES. — SERPULA. 



113 



The recent species are mostly from the Indian and Eu- 

 ropean oceans ; though some few are from the Mediter- 

 ranean and Northern seas, and one species inhabits the 

 shores of Africa. 



SERPULA.— Worm-Shell. 



Animal — a Terehella: Shell univalve^ tubular, generally 

 adhering to other substances; often separated internaUy 

 by divisions at uncertain distances. 



The genus Serpula contains forty-eight species: their 

 form throughout is (with few exceptions) exceedingly ir- 

 regular; they are moreover generally found in groups or 

 clusters, and adhering to other substances, such as rocks, 

 stones, roots of trees, sides of ships, zoophites, sertulariae, 

 fiici, shells, and corals, &c. &c. They ahnost all agree in 

 being tubular or pipe-shaped, and are generally twisted 



X 



