148 BUCCINIDiE, 



operculum, but the figure given by him shows an operculum 

 which is no more curved than occurs sometimes in the genus 

 Sipho, for example. This, with the dentition, indicates relation- 

 ship with Neptunea, but the absence of a canal in the shell, on the 

 other hand, relates it to Buccinum. 



VoLUTHARPA, Fischcr. 



Distr. — 1 sp. Japan, Siberia, Sitka. V. Perryi^ Jay (1, 32). 



Shell ventricose, thin ; spire short, body-whorl and aperture 

 very large. Operculum usually wanting ; when present, at first 

 with apical nucleus, afterwards becoming annular. 



This little group of mollusks is confined in disti'ibution to the 

 North Pacific Ocean, its metropolis being Japan. Three of the 

 species wei^e originally described as Bullia, from which genus it 

 difi'ers in its simple foot and in possessing eyes as well as in 

 dentition. The form and porcellanous texture of the shell are 

 like Bullia, and serve to separate it from Buccinum. Mr. 

 Arthur Adams says that the animal is like Buccinum, of a white 

 color sparsely sprinkled with black on the head, foot and 

 siphon ; the tentacles are broad, close together at the base, and 

 rather short, with the eyes on the outer side, near the middle ; 

 the siphon is thick and short, and the foot is fleshy and simple 

 behind. 



" The ova-capsules of Yolutharpa are not at all like those of 

 Buccinum, but rather like those of Fulgur, though smaller, con- 

 sisting of disk-like capsules, united by one edge to a ribbon or 

 stalk. They contain from eight to twelve embryos, which attain 

 the length of one-half inch, and a shell of two whorls, which, 

 except in the absence of epidermis, essentially resembles the 

 adult. The first whorl, however, is whitish and amorphous, and 

 very fragile ; it is large for the size of the embryo, and is invari- 

 ably lost in shells which have attained maturity. The remainder 

 of the embryonic shell is translucent purplish red, or wine-color, 

 with revolving lines. I found the embryos on the point of 

 escaping from the ova-capsules in September. The disks of the 

 capsules are three-quarters of an inch in diameter and two-tenths 

 of an inch thick, with the edges perpendicular to the top and 

 bottom, and the angles serrate or furnished with slight coriaceous 

 projecting points." — Dall. 



Chlanidota, Martens, 

 Distr. — G. vestita^ Martens (1, 33). Kerguelen's Island. 

 Shell subglobose, thiij, spirally costate. Operculum with apical 

 nucleus. Dentition : middle plate with five teeth, the outer ones 

 much smaller, laterals with three teeth, the middle one smallest, 

 the outer one somewhat smaller than the inner. 



