OLIVA Braziliana, 

 B7'azilian Olive. 



Generic Character. 



Tesfa ct/lindrica, polita ; spira conica, acuminata, brevissima; labium exterius 

 simplex, interius ina-assalum, tumidurn; columella plicis nnmerosis graci- 

 libus ; apertura base truncata, emarginata. 



Typus Genericus Valuta Forphyiea Lin. 



Shell cylindrical, polished, spire conic acuminated, very short; outer lip 

 simple, inner lip thickened, tumid, columella with numerous slender 

 plaits, aperture at the base truncatedly emarginate. 

 Generic Type Valuta Poi-phyrea Lin. 



Specific Character. 



0. testa coniformi, lata; apertura effusa, labia interiore t'unidd callosilate su- 

 per spiram extendente. 



Shell coniform, broad; aperture effuse, tumid callosity on the inner lip 



large, and spreading over the spire. 

 Oliva Braziliensis. Martini p. l.^O, tab. 147 c^- 8, 1367 A- 8, 

 Oliva Braziliana- Lamarck, 

 \'oluta pinguis. Dill. 516. 30. 



JVo family of shells possess characters more strikingly obvious 

 to common observers than the Ohves ; and yet, although in our 

 English terminology no one would ever think of calling them 

 Volutes, we still shrink from giving them that distinguishing ap- 

 pellation in Latin which we every day use and ackiiowledge in 

 our own language. The strict followers of Linnaeus, by thus re- 

 jecting generic distinctions, whichatonceconvcy a definite idea 

 of form and structure, contribute to render systematic arrange- 

 ment less expressive of ideas than the common nomenclature of 

 our sale catalogues : a striking proof of the pertinacity \\ith 

 which we cherish those particular doctrines we first imbibed, 

 although an unbiassed reasoning and an attentive observance ol 

 nature would convince us of their fallacy. 

 n. \'i. 



