MOLLUSCA. 69 



leaflet or mantle, and leaving it behind. When confined 

 in a vessel containing water, if an attempt is made to 

 take it, it crawls rapidly round and fills the water with 

 slime, but the moment it is touched, it draws back into 

 its shell, leaving the fleshy appendage already mentioned 

 to float or sink as prize to the captor. It is a native of 

 the Indies, and considered poisonous. 



The Trumpeter (murex tritonis) is above a foot in 

 length, and as thick as a man's arm, with transverse ele- 

 vations in form- of short varices or ribs on the shell, 

 which is spotted with white, red, and brown ; at the 

 mouth it is smooth and red. The snail itself is wrinkled, 

 and looks like the neck of a frog. Its color is spotted 

 red and brown. The flesh is eaten. If the mouth of 

 the shell is placed to the ear, a kind of rushing sound is 

 heard ; this noise, supposed to resemble the murmur of 

 the sea, is observable in many of the Conchifera, but 

 more particularly in the murices. The shells of this 

 species are used as trumpets by the natives of Tartary 

 and the East Indies ; a small piece being removed from 

 below, fits them for sending forth tones which may be 

 heard at a great distance. In order to retain their luster 

 it is necessary to place them in salt water, every two 

 years. 



The Pelicans Foot (rostellaria pespelecani), plate 25, 

 fig. 5, instead of a regular spiral shell has strong projec- 

 tions issuing from the sides. Its length is two inches, 

 its breadth about the same, and of a brownish-gray color. 

 This tribe of mollusca are frequently found in the Medi- 

 terranean, where they are easily taken in the time of 

 storms, as they then creep out of the mud. The flesh is 

 eaten, and considered good. > 



The Sea Ear (haliotis canaliculata). plate 25, fig. 3, 



