NERITA -NERITE. 115 



NERITA Peloronta* 



BLEEDING TOOTH. 



Specific Character. Shell, solid, thick, semi- 

 globular, turbinate, imperforate, slightly ribbed 

 transversely ; spire flat ; aperture entire, semi- 

 lunar ; outer lip crenulate, inner lip rather con- 

 cave, with two or three large teeth and an irre- 

 gular saffron or blood-coloured spot in the middle ; 

 ground of the shell whitish or pale grey with ir- 

 regular black and red or purplish longitudinal 

 zig-zag markings : aperture white, and throat 

 pale saffron-colour. 



The shells of this species inhabit the ocean 

 and are found in the West Indies, Red Sea, and 

 Molucca Islands. The animal is furnished with 

 an operculum which opens and shuts at its plea- 

 sure, like a door upon its hinges, having a little 

 prominence within the shell at the lower end of 

 the lip, between which and the inner lip a small 

 projection of the operculum slides as it opens. 



NERITA Corona. 



Specific Character. Shell globose, striated ; 

 spire short, eroded ; f body whorl large with a 



* Plate V. figure 4. 



+ Eroded, gnawed out from Latin e, out, and rod ere> to 

 gnaw. 



I 2 



