N U C L E O B R A N C H I A T A N U T H A T C II. 



summit closed by a kind of operculum, analogous, 

 perhaps, to the piece which closes the aperture of the 

 Fissurella. So doubtful from the description we have 

 of this genus is its proper place in malacology, that 

 we are almost disposed to consider it a species of 

 Bal<mus, hitherto but little examined. 



NUCLEOBRANCHIATA. The fifth order of 

 De Blainville's malacology, second class, Syphono- 

 branchiata. It includes the first family Nectopoda, 

 composed of the genera Pterotrachia and Carinaria ; 

 second family Pteropoda, composed of the genera 

 Atalanta, Spiratella, and Argonauta. The distin- 

 guishing characteristics of this order are the animals 

 possessing a wing-like appendage on each side of the 

 body, serving as propelling organs ; the body gela- 

 tinous. The shell symmetrical, more or less turned 

 longitudinally forward, and the texture very thin. 

 One species of this order, the Argonauta, has given 

 rise to doubts, whether the animal found in it, is the 

 " architect of its fairy bark" or not ; and two thou- 

 sand years have elapsed without that question being 

 yet set at rest. The general opinion seems, however, 

 to be, that the animal discovered in the Argonauta 

 is only a pirate, and not its proper inhabitant. 



NUCULA (Lamarck). This genus of molluscs 

 appears to form an evident transition to the genus 

 Trigonia, and is the last division Lamarck has made 

 of the genus Area, of Linnaeus, from which and the 

 two other divisions it differs, in consequence of the 

 ligament being partially inserted internally without 

 the angular groove in the exterior of the valves, these 

 are more or less pearly within, as are also those of 

 the Trigonia, and evidently indicate an alliance with 

 the Naiades. Lamarck describes six living species, 

 and four fossil ; of the first, three inhabit the European 

 seas, and the rest the eastern ocean. De Blainville 

 places this genus following the Petunctilus, and it is 

 the last of the family Polyodonta, or Arks. 



NUMMULACEA is De Blainville's third family 

 of the second order Cellulacca, and contains the 

 genera Nummulites, Helicites, Sidero/ites, Orbiculina, 

 Placentula, and Vorticialis. Of the genus Sidero/ites, 

 two recent species are known ; of the Orbiculina three ; 

 of the Placentula two ; of the Vorticialis four species 

 of a microscopic size ; the rest are fossils analogous 

 to this familv. 



NUMMULITES. A genus of fossil molluscs. De 

 France enumerates about twenty, but more are known ; 

 the animal is of course entirely unknown ; but the 

 form of its habitation is lenticular, not exhibiting 

 any appearance of the whorls of the spire, which are 

 altogether interior, and divided into a great number 

 of small cells separated by a partition, which is not 

 perforated by a syphon. 



NUPHAR (Smith). A genus of aquatic plants 

 separated from the genus Nymphcea. The flowers 

 are polyandrous, and belong to the natural order 

 NympheEacecE. These are natives of northern climates, 

 two of them are British, and frequently met with in 

 brooks and pools. In Sweden, in years of scarcity, 

 the roots of Nupliar lutca are pounded into cakes. 



NUTCRACKER (Nncifraga caryocatactes). A 

 genus of carnivorous birds, of the great order 

 Passcrcs, and as such ranging with the crow family. 

 Only one species is known as strictly belonging to 

 this genus, the common nutcracker, or European 

 bird, but so rare in Britain as to merit the character 

 of only an occasional straggler. Generically it may 

 be thus described .- the bill large, long, straight, arched 



in the culmen, compressed later.tlly, and margined 

 and pointed at the tip. The upper mandible rounded 

 in its section, without any prominent, ridge, and ex- 

 ceeding the lower mandible in length. The nostrils, 

 at the base of the bill, small, open, but shaded by 

 bristly feathers directed forwards ; four toes to the 

 feet, three in front and one in the rear, the external 

 front one united to the middle at the base ; and the 

 tarsus longer than the middle toe. The wings wedge- 

 shaped, the first and sixth quills being equal, and the 

 fourth the longest in the wing. 



The size and markings of the species are as follow : 

 The length about thirteen inches, of which the tail 

 occupies rather more than four ; and the bird is (bus 

 about the size of the magpie. The general plumage 

 of the male is black, with a decided brownish tinge, 

 and mottled over with small white spots, very similar 

 to those on the starling upon all parts, except the top 

 of the head ; these spots are most numerous on the 

 under parts, where they form irregular clusters. The 

 tail feathers are also marked with a large white bar 

 at the ends ; the bill and the feet are greyish, and 

 the iridcs brown. The female is brighter brown than 

 the male, and has something of a reddish cast. The 

 colours are, however, by no means constant, either in 

 different individuals or in the same individuals at 

 different ages and seasons. Individuals -are not un- 

 frequently met with of a sort of albino character, the 

 ground colour being the same dull white as the spots 

 upon the ones commonly met with, and the spots 

 being pure white. These birds belong to the north- 

 ern hemisphere, and are not uncommon in the cold 

 regions ; and they rarely quit the fastnesses of their 

 favourite mountains and woods, unless when driven 

 thence by the severity of the weather. In Europe 

 they extend from Lapland to the foot of the Alps; 

 but they are to be considered more in the light of 

 resident birds upon those localities which they prefer 

 than as regular migrants with the seasons. They 

 are very voracious and indiscriminate in their food, 

 which consists both of the seeds and kernels of trees, 

 and of various insects and their larvae ; they are par- 

 tial to pine forests, where they hew the seeds out of 

 the cones with their powerful bills ; but they also 

 feed upon acorns, nuts, and beech-mast, the coverings 

 of which they break open with the greatest care. At 

 some seasons they tap the bark of trees something 

 after the same manner of woodpeckers ; but they do 

 not punch into the wood, or capture insects with the 

 tongue, in the same manner as those curious creatures. 

 During summer the nutcrackers inhabit the depths of 

 the woods, and are said to be partial to those places 

 of them near which there are springs and rills of 

 water ; but in severe snow storms, and indeed during 

 the winter generally, they approach the abodes of 

 mankind, and, like most omnivorous birds, pick up 

 such substances as they can find, whether animal or 

 vegetable. The nest is usually placed in the hole of 

 a tree, and the birds are said to trim and enlarge 

 those holes in the same manner as is done by wood- 

 peckers. Indeed the nutcrackers seem to combine, 

 to a considerable extent, the habits of the wood- 

 peckers and those of the other omnivorous birds. 

 Nutcrackers have nothing which can be called a song, 

 for theirs is not a musical family. Most of the genera 

 can, however, be taught to articulate words, and it is 

 probable that the nutcrackers have this property, 

 though we are not aware that it has been tried. 



NUTHATCH (Sitta) A genus of Tenuiroairal 



