214 NEEITACEA. 



. spire acute, consisting of few rounded whorls ; last whorl large, 

 but contracted near the aperture ; aperture small, obHque, 

 rounded anteriorly ; peritreme continuous, thin ; operculum 

 spiral, horny, with few volutions. — Obs. The distinguishing 

 character of this genus is the contraction of the last whorl near 

 the aperture, in which respect it is nearly resembled by the 

 shell called Cyclostoma lucidum. Two recent and one fossil 

 species, aU very minute, are described by Sowerby in Loudon's 

 Magazine of Natural History, New Series. PI. xiv. fig. 305. 



NEEINEA. Defr. Fam. Canalifera, Lam.— De«cr. Turrited, 

 oblong, sub-canaliculated, consisting of numerous whorls ; 

 aperture with a strong fold on the columella, one on the outer 

 lip, and one on the inner lip at the edge of the body whorl. — 

 Obs. This genus is only found in a fossil state, and usually 

 in the Oolitic beds ; no other shell resembles it ; the strong, 

 prominent folds on the three upper angles of the subquadrate 

 aperture presents a singular appearance in a section. One 

 species has been named N. Hieroglyphus. Ex. N. Goodhalii. 

 PI. xvi. fig. 374. 



NEEITA. Auct. Fam. Neritacea, Lam. Hemicyclostomata, 

 Bl. — Bescr. Smooth or ribbed, semiglobose ; spire short, some- 

 times flat, consisting of few volutions ; aperture large, semi- 

 lianar ; outer lip thick, entire ; inner lip thickened, dentated at 

 the edge, spread over the body whorl, forming a flattened disc ; 

 operculum shelly, spiral, with an appendage by which it is 

 locked under the sharp edge of the columella. — Obs. These 

 marine shells are known from Neritina by the thickness of the 

 shell and the want of the thick, horny, dark coloured epidermis ; 

 from Natica, by the flat area produced by the spreading of the 

 thickened columellar lip. N. Peloronta. PL xv. fig. 330. 



NERITACEA. Lam. A famHy of the first order of TracheU- 

 poda. Lam. containing the following genera : 



1. Naticella. Apex terminal, not spiral; inner hp septi- 



form. Eig. 323. 



2. Nebita. Columellar lip septiform, edge with distinct 



teeth ; shell thick. Eig. 330. 



