216 NATURAL HISTORY. 



siphon is accommodated by a hole near the lip of the shell, repeatedly renewed with the growth of 

 the animal. In the Keyhole Limpet (Fissurella) the anal siphon passes through the perforation on 

 the summit of the shell. The Haliotis abounds on the shores of the Channel Islands, where it is 

 called the " Ornier." and is cooked, after being well beaten to make it tender. It is also eaten in 

 Japan. 



The late Mr. Daniel Hanbury, F.L.S., published some interesting "Notes on Chinese Materia 

 Medica," in the Pharmaceutical Journal for February, 1862, from which I extract the following : 

 " Shih-keue-ming ; shells of Haliotis funebris, Reeve; Puntsaon, &c. This shell is stated to occur on 

 the coasts of Fo-kien and Quang-tung. Messrs. Gumming and Lovell Reeve (both since deceased), 

 who have examined it, concur in referring it to Haliotis funebris, a New Holland species, figured by 

 the latter gentleman in his beautiful Conchologia Iconica, sect. Haliotis, pi. xii., tig. 38. The shell of 

 Haliotis is also much used for inlaying pajrier mdche work, &c. The section of any pearly shell 

 exhibits an immense succession of fine and smooth layers. If polished or worn ever so little, these 

 laminse will be cut through, and their edges will present a series of parallel lines. In the nacreous 

 shell of Haliotis the layers are corrugated, so that a single layer might serve to give the pearly effect. 

 In porcellanous shells the entire structure is composed of layers of cells, much metamorphosed, 

 arranged in three distinct strata, the direction of each of which is different. When seen in section, 

 each stratum is found to be composed of many vertical plates, arranged sometimes transversely, 

 sometimes lengthwise, according to the genus." 



Genus Stomatia. The shell of Stomatia resembles Haliotis, but has no perforations, merely a 

 simple furrow ; the surface is rough and spirally ridged ; the apex of the spire, which is small, is very 

 prominent ; the opening of the shell is wide and pearly within. Twelve species have been met with 

 under stones at low water. Its distribution is the coasts of Java, Philippines, Torres Straits, Pacific. 

 Genus Scissurella.* This minute shell is thin, with a large body whorl and a small spire; 

 surface striated ; the aperture rounded, but not pearly, with a slit in the margin of the outer lip ; 

 the operculum is ovate and very thin, obscurely sub-spiral. 



The animal is like Margarita, with long and pectinated tentacles, the eyes at their base ; foot with 

 two pointed lappets and two long, slender, pectinated cirrhi on each side. No part of the animal was 

 external to the shell. The only living example occurred at Hammerfest in forty to eighty fathoms 

 water. When placed in a glass of sea water, it crawled up the side and scraped the glass with 

 its tongue. It was pale and transparent when living, but turned inky black after immersion in 

 alcohol. (Barrett.) The slit in the young shell is converted into a foramen in the adult, as 

 in the Jurassic Trochotoma. 



Genus Pleurotomiria.J " Slit-shell." The shell is like Trochus, it has few whorls ; the surface 

 is variously ornamented, the aperture sub-quadrate, having a deep slit in the outer lip. As the shell 

 grows this slit is gradually filled up, and forms a distinct band round the whorls of the shell ; it is not 

 pearly. This is probably the rarest of all living sea-shells. Only two species have been obtained : one 

 from the Antilles and one from the East Indies. Four hundred species occur fossil, chiefly in the 

 Oolites. 



^\ .4^^^^ ^^^***^ 



FAMILY XXI. LANTHINIlXaE. 

 In this family the characters are : shell thin, trans- 

 lucent, spiral, more or less turbinate, with a sinistral 

 nucleus ; head short and thick ; tentacles obtuse ; 

 eye pedicels pointed, but without eyes ; gills plume- 

 like, exposed ; foot small, flat, rudimentary, having 

 a raft-like appendage attached to the hinder part ; 



rLEUROTOMAHIA I'LEf ROTOMAKIA ... . 



QUOYANA. PLATYSPIRA. habits pelagic. 



(s)Theslit - Genus lanthina,* "Violet Snail." Prof. Sir 



Wyville Thomson writes : "The genus lanthina inhabits a spiral shell, like a Snail-shell, of a 



most lovely blue. lanthina floats by spreading out its ' foot ' on the surface, but it is more 



usually found attached to the different kinds of 'Portuguese men-of-war,' Velella, Phy*alia, and 



* Latin, diminutive of scissus, a slit. f Greek, pleura, side, and tome, notch. J Latin, lanthina, violet-coloured 



