ROSTELLARIA curvirestris. 
 Short-beaked Spindle. 
ee Re 
Class Mollusca. Order Zoophaga.—(Gasteropoda, Cuv. Pars.) 
Carnivorous Mollusca without jaws; the mouth formed into a 
retractile trunk : conveying nutriment by suction. Respiration 
aquatic: the water being conducted to the branchie by a 
projecting siphon. 
Family,? Strombide. (Les Ailées. Lam.) 
SYNOPSIS OF THE GENERA. 
Div.1. Outer lip with a sinus ; distinct from the basal canal. 
Srromesus. L. Outer lip dilated, entire, basal canal short. 
Stromb. gigas, auris-Diana, tridentatus, urceus, &c. 
Preroceras. Lam. Outer lip digitated; canal lengthened, arcnated. 
Div. 2. Sinus simple; formed by the prolongation of the canal. 
Aporrials. Dacosta. Outer lip dilated and digitated. 
Sirombus pes-pelecani. Auct. 
RosTEtiarta. Lam. Outer lip dentated, but not diiated. Basal 
canal long. 
Hiprocurenes. Monif. Outer lip generally dilated, and always 
entire. Basal canal moderate or short. Spiral canal nearly 
equal to the spire. 
Rost : macroptera, columbata, fissurella, Lam. 
SpeciFic CHARACTER. 
Basal canal short: spiral canal thickened, and perpendicularly 
ascending on the spire. 
Strombus fusus. Linn. Gm. 3506. Lister, 854, 12. Seba, 3, 
du, 1. 
Rostellaria curvirostris. Lam. Sys. 7, 1, 192. Ency. Meth. pl. 
All, f.. 
ee 
- Tuts elegantly formed shell is a native of the Red and 
Indian Seas. It is the most common of the few species 
retained in the genus Rostellaria ; all these are recent; 
while Hippochrenes has occured only in a fossil state. 
The preceding table of affinities, connecting the leading 
forms among the Strombii, will be adverted to hereafter. 
At present we shall offer a few observations on the nature 
of that more comprehensive division of the class Mollusca, 
to which this particular group appears to belong. 
Strombide. PI. |. 
