STROMBID^. 189 



13. Asperi. (Hermes and Cylinder in part.) C. asper, Lam. 



14. Terebri. (Hermes.) C. terebra, 'Born. 



15. Bulbi. G. bulbus, Reeve. 



16. Tulips?. (Nubecula, and Phasmoconus in part.) C.tulipa, 

 Linn. 



n. Texti. (Cylinder.) C. textile, Linn. 



Family STROMBIDiE. 



Shell with an expanded lip, deeply notched near the canal. 

 Operculum claw-shaped, serrated on the outer edge. 



Animal furnished with large eyes, placed on thick pedicels ; 

 tentacles slender, rising from the middle of the eye-pedicels. 

 Foot narrow, ill-adapted for creeping. Lingual teeth single ; 

 uncini, three on each side (xi, 28). 



Strombus gigas (lix, 56) is occasionally used as an article of 

 diet ; it sometimes produces pearls ; and the layers composing the 

 shell being of different colors, it is extensively used in carving 

 cameos. It is also ground to powder for the manufacture of the 

 finer kinds of porcelain, 300,000 having been imported into 

 Liverpool from the Bahamas Islands in one year, and used 

 chiefly for this purpose. 



The perfect development of the large, fine, pedunculated eyes 

 of Strombus, together with its very elongated, powerful, mus- 

 cular body and foot, and claw-shaped, stout, jagged, horny oper- 

 culum, constitute it one of the most active and intelligent of 

 mollusks. It is, in fact, a most sprightly and energetic animal, 

 making extraordinary leaps in its endeavors to escape from 

 confinement, planting firmly its powerful narrow operculum 

 against any resisting surface, insinuating it under the edge of 

 its shell, and, by a vigorous efi'ort, throwing itself forwards, 

 carr3ang its great heavy shell with it, and rolling along in a 

 series of jumps in a most singular and grotesque manner. — A. 

 Adams, Voy. Samarang, ii, 493. 



Strombus, Linn. 



Etym, — Strombos, a top. Syn. — Pyramis, Bolt. 



Bislr. — 66 sp. W. Indies, Medit., Red Sea, Ind. 0., Cliina, 

 N. Zeal., Polynesia, W. tropical Am. Occurring on reefs, at 

 low-water, and to 10 fms. Fossil, a few species. Cretaceous — . 

 S. gigas, Linn, (lix, 56, 5t). 



Shell ovate, turreted or subfusiform ; aperture narrow, elongate, 

 emarginate or with a short canal in front, cahaliculated posteri- 

 orly ; outer lip often lobed and with a deep notch in front near 

 the canal. In the young the lip is not expanded, and the shell 

 looks like a Conus. 



MONODACTYLUS (Klein), H. and A. Adams. Outer lip with a 

 posterior much produced lobe. S. Pacificus, Swains, (lix, 58). 



