DENTALIUM. 191 



Family DENTALI'ID^E, H. & A. Adams. 

 Genus DENTA'LIUM'^, Liiiiie. PI. V. f. I. 



Seo the account of the class for the characters of the family and genus. 



We find in Aldrovandus that, according to Brasavolus, 

 the generic name was anciently '' an tale "' or *' dentale/' 

 tlie two names signifying a difference of size only. 'Phey 

 were not considered Conclue, being neither bivalves nor 

 univalves. Valerius (^ordus called the larger sort an 

 " Enthalium/' and tlie smaller a " Dentalium.^' Scmie 

 persons ate them raw as well as cooked ; and druggists 

 sold the shells for mc^dicinal {)ur|)()ses, believing them 

 to l)(M)f a mineral nature. Nicodemus Myropous put 

 th(^ names into a (J reek dress, viz. avraXi and TevraXi. 

 Martini distinguishes the " Antales ^' as being snu)oth, 

 and the " Dentales '' as fluted and angular. 



1. Dkntalium EN'TAList, liinuc. 



J), enfalia, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. V1(V^ \ F. <^. 11. ii. p. 1 1!>, pi. Ivii. f. I I . 



Body niilk-whito : tentacle:^ slciider and oxtcnsile, with oval 

 tips : foot Hanked on ouch sido by an irregulaily H('all()])ed 

 l()b(^ 



SuKLL tap(^niig, not much curved, oHcu incj;ulaily divided 

 into Hcgmonts by the succcHHivo accretions of growth ; it is 

 solid, opacpu), and ^dossy : smilpture, shght concentric linos of 

 growth, and occasiouiUly a few indistinct and oxtronu^ly fine 

 lorigitruHrud stria; towards the narrower end ; these striae when 

 tViey occur, aro not vciy numerous, and ar(^ only visible 

 with th(5 aid of a magnilier: colour ivory-white, with some- 

 tinuis an oclmjous staiu on the narrow(;r ])art, caused hy 



* Tootli slioll. 



t Corrupted from ICnthalium, an ancient nain(> of I lie gonus. 



