159 



difcovery has gone, and that are found to inhabit nearly the 

 "whole of that clafs of Tejlacea, fhould be fepard^ed from the 

 Terebeila, and formed into a diftindl genus. 



The animals belonging to the two fpecies of the concame- 

 rated divifion of Scrpula hereafter noticed, have notwith- 

 llanding the utmoft attention efcaped dete6lion, and proba- 

 bly never will be afcertained, fmce the aperture itfelf is 

 fcarcely difcernable by the moll improved microfcope. 



With refpedl to Vermiculum we cannot help exprefling 

 our furprife at the recent doubts exprefled in vol. viii. of the 

 Tranja^ions of the Linmean Society, and we muft be induced 

 to conclude that the want of opportunity, or perhaps habit 

 of iiiveftigating thefe minute microfcopic tejiacea, can alone 

 have led to a fuppofition that the intortum, Jubrotundum, 

 obkmgum, and bkorne are mere varieties of the fame fpecies. 

 It is true that fome of thefe are fubjecl to vary in fhape, 

 efpecially that which is conndered xhejeminutum ofLmtiaus; 

 but no conchologill could poflibly examine biconie without 

 being at the firO glance convinced of its ftrong fpecific cha- 

 ra<51ers of diftini5tion. We muft therefore be permitted to 

 fay that a continuation of our refearches has not only con- 

 firmed us in our former opinion, but that we are inclined to 

 believe the fpecies of this genus might be extended : the 

 very great difficulty however of exprefling thofe diftin^lions, 

 either by defcription or figure in fuch minute variable fub- 

 jedls, has induced us to content ourfelves with thefe remarks. 



SERPULA. 



