SABELLA SABELLA. 135 



Genus. SABELLA. (Plural, Sdbella.) 



SABELLA. 



Generic Character. Shell tubular, composed 

 of sandy or calcareous particles, and sometimes 

 fragments of shells agglutinated together, and 

 united to a membranaceous sheath by a cement. 



OBSERVATIONS ON THE SHELL AND ITS 

 INHABITANT. 



This genus is now very generally dismissed 

 from the class of Testaceous Mollusca, as the 

 tubes in which the animals are enclosed are more 

 or less composed of extraneous matter, and not of 

 a testaceous secretion prepared by the animal from 

 its own body, and forming a compact solid 

 substance, which is the true character of a shell. 

 Its best claim to retain its position, is, that the 

 mould to which the various particles are 

 attached, is really a calcareous and not an ani- 

 mal substance. The name of the genus is 

 taken from the Latin, sabulum, fine gravel or 

 sand, of which material their habitations most 

 usually consist. 



