UNIVALVES. BUCCINUM. 91 



after with great avidity by the collector. It is from the 

 Isle of France, and has been sold for as large a sum as 

 fifty pounds. 



Among the other species of Buccina, the scoops may 

 be considered of some importance. The most usual species 

 are the Buccinum patulum (the common or wide mouth- 

 ed scoop), Buccinum monodon or the unicorn scoop, and 

 Buccinum Persicum or tlie necklace, of which there are 

 two varieties, and by no means common. The next for- 

 mation that the Buccina take, is that which resembles, 

 in some degree, the shape of tlie common English 

 Whelk or Buccinum undatum; such are the Buccinum 

 spiratum or joppa whelk, (which has the peculiarity of 

 having its whorls channelled or spirally grooved), Buc- 

 cinum scala or pulley whelk, and Buccinum lapillus or 

 stone shell, whose animal yields a fine durable purple 

 die. The inhabitant of the English whelk is often 

 eaten. 



One species of the Buccinum genus is remarkable for 

 having its whorls surmounted with row s of foliations ; it 

 is, therefore, generally called the foliated bulb, and is 

 the Buccinum bczoar of Linnaeus. 



The Bucciimm tuba and spadiceum are so nearly al- 

 lied to the genus murex, thut it remains still a matter of 

 doubt where they really out to be classed. 



The division of Buccina which is more distinct than 

 any hitherto enumerated, comprises those shells which 

 are usually known by the name of needles; they are re- 

 markable for their sharp, lengthened, and spiral form ; 

 •which, added to the beautiful delineations that adorn 

 some of the species, constitutes them elegancies, rather 

 than rarities in the collections. The most common spe- 

 cies of this sort of structure is the Buccinum maculatuui 



