SUCCINEA. 



Draparnaud. 



TESTA ovata vel ovato-conica^ apertura ampla, 

 inte^ra^ longitudinali ; labio externo acuto^ iion 

 reflexo. Columella laevis^ an^usta, atteiiiiato- 

 acuta^ in peritrema tandem exeunte. 



Arranged among the Helices by all authors, until Bru- 

 guiere separated it from them, still to associate it with 

 shells of various families in his Buliinus. Draparnaud 

 seems to have been the first who saw the propriety of 

 distinguishing^ as a Grenus these apparently amphibious 

 animals ; he named the European species Succinea. La- 

 marck soon after, and without knowing what Draparnaud 

 had done, but struck with the singularity of the feulimus 

 patulus of Bruguiere, from Guadeloupe, and thinking it 

 worthy of a more distinguished place, united it to the Euro- 

 pean species and formed the Genus Amphibulima, which he 

 has, however, given up and adopted the prior appellation of 

 Draparnaud, This is evidently a latinization of the French 

 name for the most common species "Ambree," or "Am- 

 brette;" and inasmuch as it is taken from its colour, it is a 

 bad generic name, but we choose rather to adopt it than 

 to create confusion by giving it a new name. 



The Succinea approaches in general form more nearly 

 to Limnea than to any other Genus ; from that, however, 

 the shell may be known by its wanting the oblique fold on 

 the columella, and the animal by its having two pair of 

 tentacula, and its eyes being placed at the summits of the 

 larger pair. The Succinea, moreover, though it lives 

 near the water, and in situations where it is sometimes 

 covered with it, does not live habitually in it, but breathes 

 only air; it is therefore, strictly speaking, a land shell. 

 From Bulimus it may be distinguished by the sharp edge 

 of its outer lip. 



