GASTEROPODA. 11 



CONOVULUS,* Lam. 1812. 



MELAMPUS. Montf. 1810. 

 CONOVULA. Ferus. 1819. 

 MARINULA. King, 1831. 

 CONOVULUM. G. B. Sow. jun. 1841. 

 AURICULA. Lam. 

 VOLUTA (spec.) Linn. 



Gen. Char. Shell oval or elongate, sub cylindrical ; with generally a smooth exterior 

 and short conoidal spire ; aperture rather long and narrow ; peritreme continuous, 

 with two or three folds upon the columella ; outer lip sometimes plain, occasionally 

 denticulated within. 



This was proposed, in the first instance, by Lamarck, as a division of his extensive 

 genus Auricula, but was afterwards suppressed by himself. Mr. J. E. Gray has 

 recently adopted it in his edition of Turton's ' Manual of Land and Fresh Water Shells,' 

 as a distinction from the Auriculae, which are land shells. The Conovuli live generally 

 in water, and are found sometimes where it is purely fresh ; at others they extend 

 their range into the sea. 



1. CONOVULUS PYRAMIDALIS. /. Sow. Tab. I, fig. 13, a b. 

 AURICULA PYRAMIDALIS. J. Sow. Min. Con. t. 379, 1822. 



Nyst. Coq. foss. de Belg. p. 473, pi. 39, fig. 12, 1844. 

 CONOVULUS PYRAMIDALIS. S. Wood. Catalogue 1842. 



C. Testa ovato-ventricosd, striatd, crassd ; spird conoided pyramidali ; apice obtusiusculo ; 

 anfractibus 7 8 anyustis, superne convems, subcylindraceis ; aperturd ovato-oblongd auri- 

 formi ; columella biplicatd. 



Shell ovato-ventricose, striated ? thick and strong, with a conoidal or pyramidal 

 spire, and a slightly obtuse apex; volutions about seven, elongated and subcylindrical, 

 with an ear-shaped aperture, and two folds upon the columella ; inner lip slightly 

 reflected, generally covering the umbilicus. 



Axis, | of an inch. 



Locality. Red Crag, Sutton. 



Mam. Crag, Bramerton and Thorpe, near Aldborough. 



Found rather sparingly, in the Red Crag, but abundantly in the estuary deposit, 

 at Thorpe, where the specimens are generally more perfect, though seldom so 

 large. It is a thick and strong shell, rather clumsily formed, with a sharp and simple 

 outer lip, somewhat thickened within, particularly at the lower part, and slightly con- 

 tracted in the middle ; the upper part of the volution slightly convex, sloping outwards, 

 the body of the shell nearly straight, contracting towards the base, with two folds 

 upon the inner lip ; the upper one sharp, prominent, and compressed ; nearly at right 



* Etym. Conus and ovulum. This name of Melampus has priority, and ought to have been the one 

 employed, but this having been used in my Catalogue is here retained. 



