929 



STROMBID^E. 



STROMBID^E. 



930 



$. Species whose right lip is much dilated, but without digitation. 

 Ex. & tricornit. 



y. Species whose external lip is thick, and but little or not at all 

 dilated. Ex. 5. A uris Diana. 



S. Species whose right lip is not dilated, and very delicate, which 

 makes them resemble the Cones. (Xon-adult Slrombi.) 



The species are extremely numerous, and many of them are gigantic 

 in size, the well-known & giga* of the West Indies for example. Like 

 some others of the Turbinated Testaceana, the animals of the genus 

 fitrombus occasionally produce pearls. Mr. Wood, in his ' Zoography,' 

 relates that he saw a pink pearl which was taken from the body of 

 the animal of 8. gigas, which is fished for the table off the island of 

 Barbadoes. The pearl was discovered by chance, while the men were 

 employed in cleaning the fish. Its weight was 21 grains, but it 

 would have been more valuable if it had been round. The same 

 author states that only four of these pearls had been discovered hi 

 tha vast number of shell-fish that are annually brought to market in 

 that part of the world, though he has reason to believe that this is in 

 some measure owing to the carelessness of the negroes, who clean 

 their fiih without consideration, and Lave probably in their hurry 

 returned many a pearl to its native element with the refuse of the 

 animal. This pearl was exactly of the same colour as the interior 

 coat of the shell, and like it in every respect except in figure. 

 Immense quantities of this shell are imported into this country from 

 the Bahamas : 300,000 were imported into Liverpool alone in the year 

 1850. They are used in making cameos, and in the manufacture 

 of porceluin. 



The species are found in the seas of warm climates ; many from 

 those of India, and some from those under and near the equator. 

 They are carnivorous. Species have been found at depths varying 

 from the surface to 13 fathoms. 



S. latiaimut has the shell turbinated, ventrioose, smooth on the 

 back, somewhat wrinkled on tho wing, brown-orange spotted with 

 white; the spire short and nodulous; the external lip very broad, 

 rounded above, projecting beyond the spire ; the anterior margin 

 sharp, but the side of it very thick ; the aperture smooth and white, 

 tinged with rose colour. 



It is found in the East Indian seas. 



Strombut la 

 a, men from above ; b, neen from below. 



This fine and somewhat rare species grows to a large size, from 5 to 

 10 or more inches in length. 

 HAT. HIM. Dry. VOL. IV. 



There are about GO recent species of StrombiM described. Five 

 bssil forms have been described from the Chalk and three from the 

 Kiocene beda of the Tertiary. 



Pteroceras. Shell with the wing digitated, and furnished forwards 

 with an elongated canal. There are 10 recent species, inhabitants of 

 the Indian seas, and 100 fossil species, found from the Lias beds up 

 to the Chalk. 



P. Scorpius. Shell ovate oblong, gibbous, tuberculate, transversely 

 rugose and knotty, 7-fingered, white spotted with rufous ; the fingers 

 rather slender, and knotted at intervals throughout their length ; the 

 anterior ones and the tail the longest, and curved; aperture violaceous- 

 red wrinkled with white. 



It is a native of the East Indian seas. 



?ra$ Scorpius. 



Eostellaria. Animal imperfectly known, but bearing a considerable 

 resemblance to that of Murex, according to Cuvier. 



Shell fusiform or subturriculate, with an elevated pointed spire 

 aperture oval, canal projecting, and terminating in a pointed beak; 

 external lip simple, dentated, digitated, or very much dilated, furnished 

 with a sinus near the canal, and having generally a second canal 

 ascending upon part of the spire. 



The species are found in the Asiatic seas, if we except Roslellaria; 

 Pes Pelecani and R. Pea Carbonis (genus Aporrhais), which are found 

 in the Mediterranean and other European seas. A very fine specimen 

 of Rostellaria rcctirosiris was brought up in the mud lying on the 

 fluke of an Indiamau's anchor, in the Straits of Macassar. They are 

 carnivorous. 



There are 7 recent qpecies, and 70 fossil species. The latter range 

 from the Neocomian beds to the Chalk. 



R. curviiotlris (Strombus fitaus, Linn.), the Spindle of collectors, is 

 by far the most common of the Asiatic species. We illustrate tha 



Rvitcllaria rcctifotlrli. 



genus by liostellaria recliroitrii, Lam., a name which suits this rare 

 species well when the beak is curtailed, as it most frequently is. In 



3 o 



