226 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



[Volutes. 



under the group Volulinu; ; fourteen genera and 

 subgenera under (he group MilriniE; five genera { 

 under the group OliviiiiB ; one genus in Ancillarinae, 

 and five genem in Marginellina;. 



From such a nun>l)er of genera we may eiui.y 

 form some idea of the ovcrwhehuing multitude ol 

 specie* which the family VoliitiilsD contains ; the 

 •tudy of such a family, without instituting sections, 

 even on artiticial grounds, would be a work of im- 

 mense difficullv.— a* It i*. the labour ij not trifling : 

 nor do our obiervations apply only to the Volutidoe, 

 they are applicable to every family of gastropodous 

 mollusks. Nor is this labour decreased when we 

 come to review the various systems which different 

 writers have adopted, and the opposite views which 

 they entertain. Hence we find genera located first 

 in one section, then in another, or utterly dismem- 

 bered by one writer, who scaiters the species abroad. 

 forms many genera from them, or assigns them to 

 genera already established; while another writer 

 perhaps will, more or less, completely reunite them, 

 and place them in a new situation. Look, for in- 

 stance, at the Caini'idie, or Les l.'apuloides of Cuvier 

 (' llcgne Animal," p. 86), which, in that great natu- 

 ralist's opinion, comprehend five genera, of which 

 four are dismembered from the Limpets (I'atellsB). 

 Instead of five genera, however, under his Capu- 

 loides, he gives the characlere of ten, of which 

 we find five including species which have been 

 regarded as belonging to the genus Patella. In a 

 note he says. " M- dc IJlainville en met la phipart | 

 dans ses raracephalophores hermaphrodites non 

 symetriqiiesou calyptraciens; mais ils me paraissent 

 tons dioKpies." 



Another difiiculty in studying this department of 

 zoology arises from the circumstance that we have 

 not the molKisk.* themselves before us for exami- 

 nation; we cannot observe them as we can any of 

 the higher animals, study their habits and manners, 

 and investii;ate their organization: and even if we 

 could, we should find the anatomy and habits of many 

 mollusks, separated from each other by naturalists 

 into groups far asunder, closely approximating in 

 these respects. Mostly, however, we have nothing 

 but their shells before us, ranged in cabinets and 

 making a beautiful show. So varied are their loims, 

 so closely does one form approach another by a 

 series of transitions, that even the situation of a 

 species is often not only a matter of doubt, but is 

 totally different in dilferent systematic arrange- 

 ments. 



Added to all this, the varietie.s of many species 

 are so decided, that whether they be really identical, 

 or whether they should not rather be regarded as 

 distinct, remains a question. 



From these, then, and other causes, flie study of 

 conchology is one of great labour; it moreover 

 involves little more than an attention to mere cha- 

 racters ; and hence, beautiful as are shells to look at, 

 the descriptive details can seldom be enlivened by 

 a history of the habits and peculiar instincts of their 

 molluscous tenants. 



2736, 2737, 2738.— The UsotxATED Volute 



(^Votuta vndulata). The Undulated Volute is so 

 called from the waved lines with which the shell is 

 ornamented; in figure, it is somewhat ovate and fu- 

 siform, with a smooth surface, of a yellowish- white 

 colour, clouded with fulvous or pui-ple-black spots, 

 and marked with numerous brown longitudinal un- 

 dulating flexuous lines. There are four plaits or 

 wreaths on the pil'ar, and sometimes two additional 

 smaller ones. This species is found on the coasts of 

 New Holland. Port Western, Bass's Strait, the island 

 Maria, &c. Fig. 2736 sliows the under surface or 

 expanded foot of the mollusk protruded from its 

 shell. Fig. 2737 is a lateral view of the shell, so as 

 to display its general form, and show the orifice and 

 the plaits on the pillar. Fig. 2738 is an upper view 

 of the anterior part of the molluaVand its shell; the 

 animal is prettily marked with zebra-like stripes. 

 The respiratory siphon, the two tentacu!a, which are 

 rather long, the eyes, each on a lateral prominence, 

 and the broad expansion of the foot, are admirably 

 displayed. 



2739. — TuK Pacific Volute 



< Valuta pacifica). Though the shell of this volute 

 has the general outline of those of its genus, we ob- 

 serve that the angular part of the last whorl is 

 marked by rather bold elevations, with depressions 

 between them ; and that a tendency to the same 

 character occurs in the larger whorls of the spire. 

 The ground-colourof the shell is pale yellow or flesh 

 colour, with brown spotted bands, and bay vein-like 

 markings. The pillar has five plaits. This species 

 is found in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. The 

 figure exhibits an ujiper view of the shell and mol- 

 lusk in the act of creeping. The tentacula are 

 short ; the respiratory siphon considerably deve- 

 loped. 



2740. — The Bat- Volute 



(VoliUa vesperlilio). In this species we find the 

 projections of the shell more decided and acute ; the 

 spire too is muricaled, the apex with small tubercles. 

 ■The lip has a sinuous opening above for the recep- 

 tion of the respiratory siphon. The pillar presents 

 four plaits. 



The colour of the shell is white, yellowish, or red- 

 dish, painted with angularly flexuous spots ; but it 

 may be observed that the variations both of colour 

 and markings, and also of the development of the 

 spires and tubercles, are almost endless. Sometimes 

 the spires are strong, sometimes scarcely perceptible. 

 The Indian Seas, the coast of Amboyna, and the 

 Moluccas, &c., afford this species. 



2741, 2742.— The Episcopal Mitbk 



iMltra episcopatis). In the genus Mitra the aper- 

 ture of the shell is oblong, with several bold wreaths 

 on the columella. The spire is in general pointed 

 and elongated. The niQllusk has the foot small, and 

 the tentacles moderate, with the eyes on their lower 

 part: tlie respiratory siphon does not project beyond 

 the canal of the shell ; the proboscis is often of 

 enormous length. 



Many species are very beautiful, and among 

 them the present species holds a distinguished place. 

 The shell is smooth, white, and spotted, with square 

 or angular marks of bright red. The pillar has four 

 plaits or wreaths, increasing in size from before 

 backwards; the outer lip is denticulated at its lower 

 part. The epidermis is very delicate. With respect 

 to the mollusk, it has a narrow foot compressed and 

 channelled at its root; its figure is a long triangle, 

 the acute apex pointing backwards ; the head is very 

 small and rounded, with two short tentacles, at the 

 base of which the eyes are seated. The short respi- 

 ratory siphon is marked with black. A vermifoim 

 proboscis of extraordinary length, double that of the 

 shell, constitutes a striking appendage to the head; 

 it is terminated by an oval orifice at its dilated ex- 

 tremity. This species of mitre is a native of the 

 Indian seas, and the coasts of the South Sea Islands, 

 Tongataboo, &c. 



Fig. 2741 exhibits the shell seen from below, with 

 the mollusk visible ; Fig. 2742 is the shell, showing 

 the mouth and wreaths of the pillar. 



2743. — The Tanned Mitre 



{Mitra adiista). In this species the shell is fusi- 

 form and turreted, and transversely sireaked ; the 

 pillar has five wreaths. The general colour is 

 whitish buff, with longitudinal rufous brown mark- 

 ings. There are two or three varieties. It is found 

 near Timor, Vanikoro, &c. 



2744. — The Wrinkled Mitre 



{Mitra cornigata). The shell of this mitre is ovate- 

 fusiform, longitudinally plicated, transversely ru- 

 gous; the whorls are angulated above, the last 

 whorls with a submuricated angle. General colour 

 whitish, with brown bands. It inhabits the Indian 

 Ocean, the coast of New Guinea, &c. 



From the genus Mitra we proceed to the genus 

 Oliva, which is divided by M. Duclos into four 

 groups, the Ancilloi'd, the Cylindroid, the Glandi- 

 form, and the Volutellse. 



M. Rang, in his observations on the genus Oliva, 

 in alluding to the presence of an operculum, perti- 

 nently remarks that this form is one of the few which 

 incontestibly prove that the presence or absence of 

 an operculum is valueleiis as a character upon which 

 to divide the Pectinibranchiafa into two primary 

 sections, viz. Pomastomes and Apomastomes, or 

 opercnlafed and unoperculated, as has been at- 

 tempted ; for if, on account of the presence of an 

 operculum, the Olives are removed to the first sec- 

 tion, the result of such an arrangement would be to 

 separate them from Ibrms to which they are inti- 

 mately allied both in their internal organization and 

 the general characters of the shell (but in which no 

 operculum exists), and consequently from which it 

 would be unphilosophical to remove them. We may 

 here add that the system of forming arjangements 

 upon the absence on the one hand, and presence on 

 the other, of certain structural peculiarities, irre- 

 spective of more important considerations, as in the 

 instance in question, though it has had its supporters, 

 is now utterly abandoned. It is the system called 

 dichotomous, so severely criticized by Mr, MacLeay. 



The Mollusk of the Olive shell is characterized as 

 being compressed, with a small head, terminated by 

 a proboscis; the tentacles are placed close together, 

 enlarged at their base, and slender at their points, 

 and carry the eyes on small convexities about their 

 middle part externally. The foot is very large, 

 oblong, and slit transversely at its fore-part; the 

 mantle sends forth a single lateral lobe, covering 

 the shell in great part ; it has two tongue-like 

 processes at the side of the branchial opening, 

 forming in front a very elongated siphon. The 



brahchial pectination is single. There is a very 

 small elongated horny operculum. 



In the richness of their colours, and in the bril- 

 liancy of their shells, the Olives are among the most 

 conspicuous; the species moreover are extremely 

 numerous, M. Deshayes recording in his tables 

 seventy-eight as now existing. 



Beds of mud or sand, varying from a few feet 

 below the surface of the water to twelve or fourteen 

 fathoms, are the favourite haunts of the Olives ; they 

 are fond of flesh, but only suck the juices, and con- 

 sequently continue long at their repast, adhering to 

 their prey. Lieutenant Harford, who was lor some 

 time at the Mauritius, and who brought home very 

 fine Olive shells, informed Mr. Broderip that oft the 

 shores of that island they are captured by means of 

 baits, a sort of fishery for them being carried on. 

 The method is as follows : — a line is made to run pa- 

 rallel with the bottom of the sea, and to this line at 

 proper intervals small nooses, each containing a 

 portion of the arms of a cuttlefish, are appended, so 

 that the bait just touches the bottom. To one end 

 of the line a chain-shot is attached by way of 

 mooring, and over it are a buoy and flag ; the other 

 end of the line swings with the tide, and that end 

 is also marked by a buoy and small flag. The 

 sport is carried on in deep water over sand-banks, 

 and the best times are morning and evening ; occa- 

 sionally the line is cautiously drawn up to the sur- 

 face, and the Olives which are found adhering to the 

 bait are taken by the fishermen into their boat. 



2745. — The Figured Olive 

 (Oliva tertilina). In this beautiful species the 

 shell is greyish white, subreticulated with flexuous 

 dotted lines, and belted with two brown bands, in- 

 scribed as it were with characters. Lamarck gives 

 the ocean of the Antilles as the locality of this shell, 

 but, according to the statement in the 'Voyage of 

 the Astrolabe,' it is found around New Guinea. 



2746.— The Ruddy Olive 

 (Oliva sanguinolenta). The present species has a 

 cylindrical shell very delicately reticulated, with 

 rufous brown small lines, and girt with two brown 

 zones : the pillar is orange red. Locality, the Indian 

 Ocean, coast of Timor. 



Referring to Fig. 2746, a is the shell seen from 

 below ; b, the animal out of the shell, shown as 

 when creeping on its large foot. 



2747.— The Black Olive 



{Oliva maurii). The colour of this shell is black, 

 will) the aperture white ; the apex is retuse. It is 

 found in the Indian Ocean. In the ' Voyage of the 

 Astrolabe,' Amboyna is given as a locality. La- 

 marck states that a yellowish variety is found along 

 the coast of New Holland. 



Fossil Volutidae from the tertiary beds are rather 

 numerous. M. Deshayes enumerates thirty-two 

 species of Voluta, sixty-six of Mitra, thirteen of Oliva, 

 seventeen of Marginella, nine of Ancillaria, two of 

 Volvaria, and four of Columbella. To these must be 

 added many other species; for example, Mr. Bro- 

 derip has described and figured in the third volume 

 of the ' Zoological Journal,' a voluta from St. 

 Peter's Mountain, near Maastricht. Dr. Mantell 

 notices a species from the blue clay of Biacklesham, 

 and the arenaceous limestone or sandstone of 

 Bognor; M. Lea enumerates seven species of V'oluta, 

 from the tertiary of Alabama, five species of Mitra, 

 eight of Marginella, and six of Oliva, 



We may here take a review of the various modes 

 in which different zoologists have arranged the Vo- 

 lutidae, of which, since Lamarck's time, the number 

 of known species, from the researches of naturalists, 

 has been greatly increased ; indeed some genera 

 have had their numbers tripled, or even quadrupled, 

 and fresh additions are continually being made. 



Lamarck thus divided his genus Voluta; — 

 a. Shell ventricose, convex) bombee). 

 Les Gondoliires (Cymbiclse). 



Tlie species of this section belong mostly to the 

 subgenera Cymba and Melo of Broderip. 



b. Shell oval, spiny or tuberculous. 

 Muricinse. 



Comprising Volutae imperialis, vespertilio, mitis, 

 nivosa, &c. 



c. Shell oval, tuberculous. 

 Musicales, the Music Shells. 



Consisting of Voluta; ebiaja, rausica, &c. 



d. Shell elongated, ventricose, nearly fusiform. 

 Fusoideae. 



Consisting of Volutae magnifica, ancilla, pacifica, 

 junonia, lapponica, &c. 



Cuvier observes that the Volutes ( Valuta, Linn.) 

 vary in the form of the shell and that of the aper- 

 ture, but are to be recognised by the notch without 

 a canal which terminates it, and by the projecting 

 and oblique plaits on the pillar. The following sub- 

 divisions appear in Cuviers work : — 



The Olives (Oliva, Brug.). 

 These are named from the oblong or elliptical 



