UNIVALVES. 



PLATE XLVIII. 



Genus. BUCCINUM. 

 Character. Shell spiral, ovate, or elongate ; the cheek standing straight forwards, 

 the opening oblong ; the beak covered at the back with a thick twisted tubercle, 

 swelling outwards ; no canal ; the columella plain, full, and of a convex appearance. 



Species. 

 No. 1. Buccinum reticulatum. Shell of a pale red, having irregular undulated 



dissepiments; the mouth brown; the cheek labiated, round, and projecting. 



It has a considerable resemblance to the common whelk, and is found in the 



islands of Guernsey and Jersey. 

 No. 2. Buccinum turritum. Shell of a pale yellow ; the mouth purple ; the spire 



elegantly ornamented with tubercles, and narrow longitudinal ribs, and ra- 



ther taller than generally occur in the Buccinum. A native of the East 



Indies, and supposed to be a rare shell. 



Genus. NATICA. 

 Character. Shell spiral, subglobose, umbilicate, aperture whole, orbicular; colu- 

 mella transverse, without teeth, very much thickened, and a swelling partly guard- 

 ing or covering the umbilicus. 



Species. 

 No. 1. Natica quadrata. Shell of a bright maroon colour, divided into irregu- 

 lar squares, of a dark red ; the mouth much labiated and white, streaked 

 with red inwardly. A native of the Cape of Good Hope. From the Mu- 

 seum of Mr. Hayter. 

 No. 2. Natica circularis. Shell pale brown, striped with a dark red ; mouth 

 inclining to purple, the edge of the mouth white, the umbilicus distinctly 

 marked. Native place unknown. From the Museum of the Author. 

 No. 3. Natica maculata. Shell richly spotted with circular red marks, giving 

 a lively and delicate appearance to the white ground underneath ; the mouth 

 white, inclining to brown. This curious shell is from the South Seas, and 

 is in the possession of Mr. Chandler. 



REMARKS. 



The Buccinum, as described by Linnaeus, contained a number of shells of various forms, as 

 the Cassis, Terebra, Harpa, &c. which latter have been very properly divided by the French 

 Authors into several separate and distinct genera. The Natica is also now distinguished 

 from the Helix, by its very striking and permanent character, as well as from the Pomacea, 

 from which it entirely differs. The variety of colours, and the sportive forms which many 

 of these shells present, are in some degree a compensation for the want of those graceful 

 proportions which are so obvious in some of the larger shells. The Buccinum is, of all 

 others, the most numerous upon the European coasts, under which may be classed the com- 

 mon Whelk, which yields a food highly esteemed by some tastes ; the smaller varieties of 

 this genus are almost infinite, and may very properly be submitted to the examination of 

 the microscopic philosopher. 



