120 SHELLS AND SHELL- FISH. PART I. 



minata we are disposed to place a most singular volute, 

 described with Mr. Broderip's usual accuracy, which 

 partakes both of one and the other. It has, in fact, 

 almost precisely the same elongated shape as a young 

 specimen of fulminata, before the outer lip has been 

 formed; while the number of its plaits are only two, thus 

 agreeing with bullata. Divest the fulminata* of its outer 

 lip, and it would have the same " fig-like" appearance 

 as Mr. Broderip's H. dubia.^ That the plaits on the 

 pillar of some of these shells increase with age, is proved 

 by a young IT, vexillum, now before us, which has only 

 four, instead of eight. 



(108.) In this manner, as it appears, the genus 

 HABPULA forms a circular group, which, by commencing 

 with H. fulminata, passes onward to Lapponica and vex- 

 illum, and from thence to hebraa : polyzonata conducts 

 us to costata ; and lyriformis to nucleus and bullata ; 

 while dubia brings us again to fulminata. We may 

 now compare the contents of this circle with the last. 



Analogies of the Genus HABPULA. 



Sub-generic Genera Sub-generic 



Types of Analogies. of the Types of 



HARPULA. VOLUTINJE. VOLUTA. 



H.fulminata. Lower plaits of the pillar small. SCAPHELLA. Magnifica. 

 vexillum. Shells smooth. VOLUTA. Neptuni. 



f Shells muricated or nodulous; 

 hebrtea. -\ apex obtuse, but not much J-CYMBIOLA. Imperialis. 



C enlarged. 



PSSesT^eTva^ " 8 '] *** 



ilous; } 

 nuch VI 



ower ? 

 i c 



bullata. Plaits on the pillar very few. VOLUTILITHES. Angvlata. 



* I have recently ome to a knowledge of the habitat of this shell, which 

 is Java. 



f- As Mr. Broderip's observations on this shell will be much more valu- 

 able than my own, the reader will be better pleased by perusing that acute 

 naturalist's own words. " This shell is one of those forms which convince 

 us of the vanity of our artificial distinctions. When viewed from above, it 

 seems as if the spire of a Valuta were placed on the body-whorl of one of 

 those Pyrulce which are commonly known by the name of Figs. Turn it, 

 and the difficulty of classing the shell is rather increased ; for the aperture 

 is still fig-like, and it requires an accurate examination to detect the two 

 almost imperceptible plaits on the columella. The apex, indeed, uncouth 

 as it is, shows more like that of a Valuta than of any other shell, and it is 

 utterly different from that of a Pyrula. Place it among, the volutes, and 

 it will be found to approach nearest to V. rupestris; though one cannot but 

 suspect that there are yet, in the bosom of the deep, many gradations of 

 form between them. There is, I believe, one specimen in the cabinet of 

 prince Massina." Brod., in Zool. Journ. iii. p. 81. pi. 3. fig I. 



