B U L I M U S melastomus. 

 BlackmoutJied BuUmiis. 



Generic Character. 



Testa avails, vel ohlongo-ovalis. Spira elevcUa. Os integrum, sub-ovale. Colu- 

 mella lavis, simplex. Labium externum crassum, reflexum. Inlcrnum 

 ultra medium cavo-inflcxum. Operculum nullwn. 



Shell oval or oblong-oval. Spire elevated. Mouth entire, sub-oval. Column 

 smooth, simple. Exterior lip thick, reflected. Interior lip beyond 

 the middle inflected, and hollowed beneath. Operculum none. 



Specific Character. 



J3. testa oblongo-ovata, alba, cinereo marmorata, spira anfractibus longil udina- 

 liter plicutis, labia exteriore complanato ; apertura nigra. 



Shell oblong-ovate, white, marbled with cinereous. Spiral whorls longi- 

 tudinally plaited. Outer lip flattened; aperture black. 



1 HE genus Bulimus was long ago formed by Scopoli out of the 

 heterogeneous mixture of shells thrown together in the Linnfean 

 genus Helix*, &c. : it comprehends some of the larger and most 

 beautiful of the exotic land shells, among which the present spe- 

 cies will stand conspicuous both in beauty of colouring and ex- 

 cessive rarity. While travelling among the forests of Brazil, in 

 the province of Bahia, I found the shell here figured one morn- 

 ing on the leaves of a Solarium. I not only searched myself, but 

 promised as a reward to any of my Indians who would bring me 

 another, a two-bladed Birmingham knife ! — the greatest tempta- 



* Were it necessary at this time of day to point out the unnatural se- 

 paration of shells intimately connected with each other, which the Lin- 

 na^an arrangement presents, it would be sufficient to observe, that the ge- 

 mis Bulimus is formed of shells scattered in the old genera of Turba, Helix, 

 and Bulla: thus we see in Mr. Dillwyn's Catalogue, the large pink-moulhcd 

 African land-snail put in the same genus with our Englisli Bulla Ugnaria, 

 and apcrlu ; the one inhabiting the depths of forests, and the others the 

 depths of ocean ! 



P!. 4. 



