CUMA. 199 



the aperture, and in fact, becomes a useless appendage. The shell 

 is used by the Magellanic tribes as a drinking-cup, and by the 

 Chilians the foot is eaten, being well-beaten to render it tender. 

 Large piles of shells around the cabins of the fishermen testify 

 their appreciation of this mollusk as an article of food. The 

 large foot, like that of the limpets, adheres by suction to rocks, 

 and so tightly that the shell is detached from them with extreme 

 difficulty, unless suddenly removed before the animal becomes 

 aware of danger. 



Mr. A. Adams formed a subgenus CoraMiobia for Conch, fim- 

 briatus described by him in 1852 ; subsequently this subgenus 

 and its type were ranged under Leptoconchus in H. and A. Adams' 

 "Genera." This latter disposition I consider correct. 



C. PERUVIANUS, Lain. 1 PI. 62, figs. 314-317. 



Shell brownish, white within. Length, 1-6 inches. 



W. C. of S. America, from Peru to Patagonia, 



Genus CUMA, Humph. 



This small group is related by some of its species to Rapana; 

 by others, to Rhizochilus. 



The genus Cuma of Humphre} r is founded upon a number of 

 species, of which about one-half have been identified and referred 

 to other genera, and no species remains which can be certainly 

 made to represent the group. Morch,* inasmuch as Milne- 

 Edwards has used the name in Crustacea, in 1828, proposes 

 Cymia for these shells. I am not disposed to disturb a well- 

 known name, even under these mitigating circumstances ; be- 

 sides, it is not impossible that Milne-Edwards 1 genus may itself 

 be superseded by some other name or dismembered, and nothing 

 left of it, as in our old genus Pyrula. 



Humphrey may not have understood what limits he ought to 

 have given to his genus Cuma, and whilst 1 do not think that he 

 has any very strong claim on us for the recognition of any of his 

 names, I am unwilling to increase the already confused state of 

 our nomenclature by attempting to follow out the absurd and im- 

 practicable ;> rules " of the British Association. Every naturalist 



* Mai. Blatt., vii, 98, 1861. 



