70 SKENEID^E. 



HABITAT : Abundant almost everywhere in the upper 

 region of the laminarian zone, just beyond low water, 

 on seaweeds and Zoster a marina. I will mention a few 

 localities to show the extent of distribution : Shetland, 

 Skye, all Ireland, Scarborough, Bristol Channel, Land's 

 End, Torbay, and the Channel Isles. The variety was 

 found in Loch Fyne by Mr. Barlee. This species is 

 fossil in the Clyde district (Crosskey), near Fort William 

 (J. G. J.), and in post-glacial beds, Norway, from the 

 present sea-level to 100 feet above it (Sars). In a living 

 or recent state it ranges abroad from Norway, in the 

 laminarian zone (Sars) to Bohuslan, 10 f. (Malm), Cat- 

 tegat (mus. Copenhagen), Etretat (J. G. J.), Cherbourg 

 and Vallognes (Mace) , Provence (Petit) , Nice (Verany) , 

 Corsica (D'Orbignypere), Sardinia (Costa), Spezzia and 

 Sestri di Levante (J. G. J.), Sorrento (Philippi), toLa- 

 calle in Algeria (Deshayes) . 



This little creature, on being captured and placed in 

 a watch-glass with seawater, was at first shy ; but when 

 left for a short time undisturbed it crawled about freely 

 and rapidly, like a snail, with its shell raised in a slant- 

 ing position ; and on its getting to the water's edge it 

 turned upside down, and floated on the under surface. 

 I observed it last year feeding on a Conferva, which it 

 dragged into its mouth by means of its rake-like teeth. 

 The snout was then contracted, and the rest of the body 

 bunched up ; the front appeared to be delicately scalloped 

 or crenellated. The heart beat quickly, about 100 per 

 minute ; but the pulsation was intermittent. It after- 

 wards retired into its house (perhaps to digest the meal), 

 whence it seemed to reconnoitre me through the shell, 

 with its dark eyes, like a porter from within the window 

 of a hall. The shell is sometimes encrusted, on one 

 side or the other, with Polyzoa and species of Discorbina. 



