30b 



Fam. I. ASPERGILLID/E. 



The animal living sunk in sand, or holes in rock, or shells, enclosed 

 in a shelly tube, the adult animal imbedding one or both of its valves 

 in the shelly tube in which it resides, and emitting from the front of 

 its mantle a number of tentacles which are enclosed in tubuli radia- 

 ting from the edge or disk of the base of the enclosing tube. 



This family may be divided into two, according to the adhesion 

 of one or both valves on the substance of the tube*. 



Subfamily 1. Penicillina. 



Both the valves of the adult animal imbedded in and forming part 

 of the shelly tubular sheath. The valves of the young animals 

 are early united into one plate. 

 Aspergillum, Lamk. Hist. 



The umbones of the valves are always, and a considerable part of 

 the valves is sometimes, to be seen on the outer surface of the tube ; 

 and in the inside of the tube the united valves are to be observed 

 extending almost two-thirds of the circumference of the cavity, 

 and separated from the surface by a distinct groove, and marked 

 by a large submarginal scar left by the attachment of the adductor 

 muscles. 



The tube in which the animal lives is sunk in sand or mud, and 

 has its surface often covered with a thin coat of sand, small 

 stones, or shells ; but otherwise they are free and easily removed 

 from this locality, and, except when they are distorted by some 

 larger stone or coralline, they are of a regular symmetrical shape. 



The older authors figured two or three kinds of these shells. Hum- 

 phreys, Favanne, and Bruguiere, describe two species — one " furbe- 

 lowed," and the other " unmargined," as Humphreys denned them. 

 Dillwyn, in his ' Recent Shells,' united these kinds as varieties of his 

 Serpula aquaria, he still regarding them as Serpulce fixed by the 

 smaller end of their shell. Lamarck describes two fringed — A.ja- 

 vanum and A. vaginiferum, and two unfringed species — A. Novce 

 Zelandice and A. agglutinans ; the two latter appear to be varieties 

 of the same species t- 



In the 'Annals of Philosophy' for 1825, I divided the " unruffled " 

 kinds into two species, A. javanum and A. Listeri. 



Chenu, in 'Illustrations Conchyliologicmes,' gives a monograph of 

 a new species of this genus, figuring a number of specimens from the 



* When it was believed that the Aspergilla, or Watering-pot Shells, were affixed 

 by the smaller end of the tube, with the disk upwards, these tentacles were sup- 

 posed to be used to collect food. Thus Humphreys observes, " the tentacles or 

 feelers which the animal of this curious species puts forth from the perforations 

 of its furbelow or border to catch its food, are here artificially represented." — 

 Colonne Cat. 2. 



t According to Favanne, the lower part, by which it adheres to the rock, is 

 flexuous and twisted ; and the upper part, which is straight, proceeds from it nearly 

 at right angles (Recent Shells, 1084). See Favanne, t. 5. f. B, where the shell 

 is represented so attached, the specimen being evidently formed of an Aspergillum 

 and Serpula united together. 



