lANTHINA fragilis, 



Common Oceanic Snail — upper and lozeer figures. 



Generic Character. 

 Testa sitbglobosa, temns, fragilis. Spira depressa. Labium exterius me- 

 dio emarginatum. Cohtmelld ultra apertura- basin product a. Ani- 

 mal marinum, vesiculd solidd pede suppositd instructum. — Cuvier. 



Shell subglobose, thin, brittle. Spire depressed. Outer lip notched 

 in the middle. Base of the pillar projecting beyond the aper- 

 ture. Animal marine, with a solid vesicle, placed under the 

 foot. — Cuvier. 



Spkcific Charactkr. 

 /. testa pallida, avfructa basali angulato ; ba.si complanatd, striata, vio- 



laced ; apertura latiore quani longiore ; labio exteriore profundc 



emarginato. 

 Shell pale ; body whirl angulated ; the base flattened, striated and 



deep violet; aperture broader than long; outer lip deeply 



emarginate. 

 Helix lanthina. Gm. 3645, Lister. 572. fig. 23. 24. Turtan. C. D. 



;;. 58. Gualt. tab. 64. 0. Mart. v. tl 166. fig. 1577.-8 ? 

 lanthina fragilis. Bruguiere. Ency. Meth. pi. 456. fig. 1. a. b. 



1 HE singular shells of this genus float on the surface of the 

 ocean, where they principally live. Gmelin remarks that 

 the animal emits a phosphoric light; and Captain Cook ob- 

 served that it is oviparous, and discharged, on being touched, 

 a liquor of the most beautiful purple. Dr. Tiirton and Mr. 

 Dillwyn have recorded several British localities for this shell ; 

 and the former notes having seen it alive, but without giving 

 any original account of the animal. The extreme brittleness 

 of the shell is such, that, although common, it is very rarely 

 seen so perfect as here represented, from shells in my own 

 cabinet.^ All the figures I have seen are very defective. 



lANTHINA globosa. 

 Globular Oceanic Snail — middle figures. 



/. testa reniricosd, basi productd ; aperturd longiore quani latiore ; la- 

 bio exteriore leviter emarginato. 



Shell ventricose, the base lengthened ; aperture longer than broad ; 

 outer lip slightly emarginate. 



1 HE notch, which in I. fragilis extends the whole length of 

 the lip, in this, is verv slight, and nearly central. Mr. Dubois 

 has enabled me to figure it from specimens in the greatest 

 perfection ; it is much less common than the last. 



