89 



TAB. XLIV. 



ECHINUS cidaris? var. u. 



Class 6. Vermes. Order 2. Mollusca. 

 Gen. Char. Body roundish, covered with a bony 



sutured crust, and generally furnished with 



moveable spines. Mouth placed beneath, and 



mostly five-valved. — Turt. 

 Spec. Char. Hemisphasrical, depressed, with five 



flexuous linear avenues, the spaces alternately 



bifarious. — Turt. 

 Syn. Echinus cidaris, var. «? Gj?ieL v. I. p. 3174. 



Cidaris papillata major. Klein ap. Leske Echinod. 



t. SiK f. 2. t. 51. f. h. 1. h. 2. 



1 HE Echini are pretty well known, from their having 

 spines resembling those of a hedgehog, and they have been 

 called in common Sea Hedgehogs, Sea Urchins ; and when 

 destitute of the spines they are sometimes called Sea Eggs, 

 &c. Mr. Pennant took some pains to select the English 

 species for the information of his countrymen. 



He, however, does not appear to have known the present 

 species, although he travelled in Scotland. Our friend Alex- 

 ander M'Leay, Esq. who, laudably, forgoes no researches, 

 that his opportunities permit, to investigate the natural 

 history of the British Isles, obligingly communicated this 

 Echinus, totally new, not only to Great Britain, but differ- 

 ing also from any yet found elsewhere; although, from its 

 general resemblance to that elegant species brought from 

 New Holland (with which I have been able to compare it, 

 by favour of Governor Paterson, who presented me with 

 a fine specimen from thence, with the spines quite perfect), 

 it might be confounded with it. It also differs from those 



VOL. I. K 



