TRTTIA. -SO 



being betrayed by a little hillock. It also gets into lobster-pots 

 for the sake of the bait. Bouchard-Chantereaux attributes to this 

 ns well as t<> other whelks, the habit of picrcinir and devouring bi- 

 valves. According to M. Lespe's. X. refici/lafo is preyed upon by a 

 parasitic Trcmafode ( (Icrcarin ttari/ffahi) which infests its liver. 

 IN spawn eases are deposited on the leaves of %i.n*l< j r(i and on 

 various other things which are left dry only at springtides ; the 

 capsules nre arranged in rows, and so closely that they overlie 

 each other "like the brass scales of the cheek-band of a hussar' 1 

 (Johnston). They are compressed pouches, each of the si/e of 

 a larjre spangle, supported on a very short stalk, with a small 

 opening 1 at the top to allow the fry to escape. Mr. Peach des- 

 cribed and figured the capsules in the Reports of two (V>rnish 

 ocieties for 1843 and 1844 ; and he has given us some amusing 

 particulars of the fry. These behaved themselves like the fry 

 of other gastropods, skipping about and whirling round by 

 means of their ciliated lobes, apparently in a state of pleasura- 

 ble excitement : but it seems that the exercise was compulsory, 

 or necessary to prevent the attacks of a swarm of infusoria, 

 which made short work of any tired or feeble infant AWx-/. 



Mr. Jeffreys has named X. nili<iti (tig. .'540) a shell which he 

 says is as distinct from A", rc.lictilulii as N. ij<jni;t(t is from .V. 

 iurrdxititlti, and he states that he has not seen any intermediate 

 forms. He states that mtida IB found only in brackish water 

 and on muddy bottoms. A specimen among a number dredged 

 by him in Roach River, had two eyes on the right hand tentacle; 

 the eyes were smaller than usual, and close together. I agree 

 with Moreh and Yon Martens that ni-titla is merely a variety of 

 N. reticulafd. Mr. Jeffreys cites A', reticulata from Japan;* the 

 identity of the Japanese shell must be supposed to be in the 

 sens- in which Mr. Marrat would regard it yet I can admit it 

 also. -if it be considered necessary to prove an immense distri- 

 bution for 'the species. A 7 . r< j ti<-nl(it<i . figured by Quoy and 

 (laimard in the Toy. of the Astrolabe, is no', this species how- 

 ever, but probably A". <T<'tfffn. var. mn r<jn n'fij'crti. A curious, 

 thin, swollen form from the Baltic is known as A. c(i/i<;>]]fitfi , 

 (Miemn (.figs. 84:-i-:ur. ;-. 



Jour. Liun. Soc.. xii, 107. 



