90 UNIVALVES. VOLUTA. 



VOLUTA. VOLUTE OR WREATH. 



Animal a Limax : Shell one-celled, spiral; aperture with- 

 out a beak, and somewhat effuse ; pillar twisted or plait- 

 ed, generally without lips or perforation. 

 THE one hundred and ninety-seven species of this genus 

 are more or less celebrated for their beauty or scarcity ; and 

 are easily distinguished from all other Univalves, by their 

 having several teeth or plaits on the columella or pillar-lip. 

 In some species, the number of teeth amounts only to four 

 or five; but, in others, as in the Olives, it is unlimited, and 

 frequently extends to as many as thirty or forty, when they 

 are much smaller and less articulate. 



The Volutes are generally of a smooth and polished sur- 

 face; among the exceptions may be mentioned the V. tur- 

 binellus, V. ceramica, V. capitellum, and many of the 

 mitres. 



Among the innumerable varieties of the olives, the camp 

 or panama (V. porphyrea) is most conspicuous, not only for 

 the peculiarity of its markings, but also for the consider- 

 able magnitude it attains. The rest of the species of the 

 olives, as the V. oliva, V. ispidula, and V. utriculus, &c. 

 although not remarkable for their scarcity, are much ad- 

 mired for their beauty and variety. 



Some of the rarer Volutes are the produce of the land, 

 and are curiously distinguished from the rest of the genus 

 by having their mouths shaped like an ear; such are the 

 V. auris-Midae, V. auris-Sileni, V. auris-Judae, V. auris- 

 Malchi, &c. The three first are found in the^marshy woods 

 and swamps of India, and are numbered among the rari- 

 ties of the genus. The last is an inhabitant of New Cale- 

 donia. 



