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association of species; many are of the greatest rarity, 

 and for which amateurs have given larger sums than 

 for the examples of any other genus of Testncese. From 

 the great variety of form in the different species, La- 

 marck lias been induced to separate them into four small 

 groups or families, pointing out by that means the 

 most obvious similarity between each, though they are 

 all inseparably united together by leading generic char- 

 acters, and form but one genus. 



The first family, called by Lamarck Cymbiolce, and 

 known to English collectors by the trivial name of 

 Melons, is distinguished by the shells comprised in it 

 being subglobular, or inflated; the spire papillary, and 

 in some species crowned with sharp vaulted spines; in 

 others the whorls are truncated, and more or less con- 

 cave at the upper part; the margin of them sharp and 

 keeled, and some have the spire nearly concealed by 

 the body whorl., 



In the second family, Muricince, (called Horned 

 Musics), the shells are oval, andspincd or tuberculatcd ; 

 spire papillary, surrounded at the upper part of the 

 whorls with long, hollow, recurved spines or prongs 

 closed at their points, as in the V. Imperialis; or small 

 acute vaulted spines, as in the V. Vespertilio. 



