GALEOLARIA. 



general appearance, are indications of particular charac- 

 ters in the animal inhabitant itselfl, which are sufficient to 

 authorize this separation. In our definition of the Genus 

 we have, however, been obliged to modify the term erecto- 

 undati used by Lamarck, because our species is entirely 

 repent, although it accords perfectly with Lamarck's, in 

 the characters of the very singular operculum, and the 

 languette of the aperture. In its more advanced stages of 

 growth our species would probably extend its tube so as to 

 become erect or partly so, and those which Lamarck 

 described were certainly repent in their younger state. 



The Galeolariae are marine, they are found in great 

 numbers collected together and forming tufts attached to 

 shells and other marine productions ; each one separately 

 considered is an irregularly bent and contorted angularly 

 cylindrical tube, its aperture is orbicular, and the termi- 

 nation at its upper edge is produced into the form of a 

 little tongue, which is more or less spatulate; its oper- 

 culum consists of an orbicular squamiform piece (said by 

 Lamarck to be also helmet-shaped) to which, on the exter- 

 nal margin, are affixed several very small, mostly acute,, 

 testaceous valves, from five to nine in number, of which, 

 one which is central is linear and truncated at its extre- 

 mity, and larger than the others. 



Lamarck describes two species of this Genus, which 

 he thinks may perhaps only be varieties ; in one the tube 

 is thrice as long as in the other : in our species the tube is 

 shorter than in either of Lamarck's, and attached through- 

 out its whole length, wherefore we have named it Galeo- 

 laria decumbens; it may be characterized as follows : 



Galeolaria decumbens; testd repente, teretiuscuM, 

 dorso obtuse angulato, sulcato, aperturae linguld brevi- 

 uscul^. 



We have never seen any fossil species of this Genus, 

 but there is a representation of a Vermilia, in " SoAverby's 

 Mineral Conchology of Great Britain," pi. 30, under the 

 name of Serpula crassa, which has a very singularly 

 stellated operculum : it was found in the London Clay, at 

 Highgate. 



Fig. 1 . A group of Galeolaria decumbens upon a Turbo. 



2. A magnified representation of its aperture. 



3. Its opercuhua higiily magnified. 



