OYTJLA. 507 



that of Cypraea, extending beyond the shell. The mantle is 

 aspersed with yellow papillae, and the body with light pink 

 blotches ; the sole of the foot is ash-colour. Not being in 

 possession of our original notes, we have had recourse to 

 memory and the ' Enum. Moll. Sicil.' of M. Philippi. It 

 appears that the animal scarcely differs from Cypr&a. 



OVULA, Bruguiere. 



O. PATULA, Pennant. 



O. patula, Brit. Moll. iii. p. 498, pi. 114 B. f. 1, 2 ; (animal) pi. N.N. 



f.1-4. 

 O. acuminata ? Brit. Moll. iii. p. 500, pi. 1 14 B. f. 3. 



The shell preserves the same figure at all ages. The mantle 

 is dark, reflexed largely over the shell on both sides ; it is 

 smooth, and not, as in Marginella and Cypraa, aspersed with 

 papillae. The branchial fold does not extend much beyond 

 the margin of the hard part. The tentacula are long, slender, 

 approximate, obtuse at the tips, dark, and form at their base 

 external tubercles on which the small black eyes are set. The 

 foot is longer and wider than the shell, truncate in front, with 

 a longitudinal mesial groove on the sole ; it is pale brown, as 

 are the head and the bases of the tentacula. 



We have seen fifty of these animals alive, but being de- 

 prived of our notes, we are indebted for the above, in part, 

 to M. Philippi, which assistance, with the reference to the ac- 

 count of the animal of Cypr&a, from which the present species 

 scarcely varies, will suffice for an ad interim notice, as we con- 

 fidently expect to supply another from personal observation. 

 We believe the O. acuminata is the young of this species ; some 

 of our brethren dissent from this view, which we shall not 

 abandon until the discovery of the animal shows that we are 

 in error. 



I conclude by presenting a view of the numerical status of 

 these animals. After a careful examination, I believe I shall 

 not much err in the following estimate : 



