260 CERITHIIDiE. 



Var. 2. Land^s End (Hockin) . C. reticulatum is fossil 

 in the brick-eartli of the Nar^ west Norfolk (Rose) ; 

 Lochgilphead (Geikie) ; post-glacial beds in Norway, 

 20-200 feet (Sars) ; Uddevalla (J. G. J.) ; tertiaries of 

 the south of France and Italy (Potiez and Michaud, 

 Brocchi, Scacchi^ and Philippi). Its present distribu- 

 tion in a living state extends from the Loffoden Isles 

 (Sars) to the Canaries (M^A^ndrew^) ^ and throughout the 

 Mediterranean^ Adriatic, and ^gean; recorded range 

 of depth, shore to 140 f. 



It crawls actively and quickly by means of its long 

 foot, and occasionally suspends itself by a byssal fila- 

 ment to a bit of floating seaweed or to the side of the 

 vessel in which it is kept. It seems to be not very par- 

 ticular in its diet, feeding on all sorts of animal and 

 vegetable matters, especially such as are putrid or de- 

 caying ; ^^ we observed it sucking in ropes of molluscan 

 mucus with great gusto and avidity." Clark. The shell 

 varies extremely in size; it is usually sombre-looking, 

 and may be called sad ; but 



" Oh, idle thought ! 

 In nature there is nothing melancholy." 



Monstrosities have been noticed by Mr. Thompson of 

 Belfast and Mr. Cocks. In some specimens the spiral 

 ridges, in others the longitudinal ribs are the stronger 

 or more conspicuous. The spire, being long, is apt to 

 be twisted on one side. 



'^ The small needle whelke " of Borlase, Murex acumi- 

 natus of Pennant, M. scaber of Olivi, C. Latreillii of 

 Payraudeau, C. Danicum of Beck (according to Orsted), 

 and Rissoa vulgatissima of Clark. The Trochus punc- 

 tatus of Linne might be this species, but for the descrip- 

 tion '^ anfractibus serie triplici punctorum ; " our shell 

 has never less than four rows. Bruguiere gives Guada- 



