TORNATELLA. 



Of the Tornatellse, the shell is oval or oblongs hav- 

 ing a somewhat cylindrical form; it is for the most part 

 transversely i^triated or grooved^ though very few species 

 (if more than one) are quite smooth and polished. Spire 

 generally very short, rather obtuse, in some very few 

 species more elongated and acute. Aperture longitudinal, 

 elongated; generally two-thirds of the length of the 

 shell, very seldom not more than half, pointed at the 

 upper end, and rather spread below. Outer lip simple, 

 sharp-edged, inner thin and but little spread; columella 

 spiral, thickened, running at its base, and turning up 

 into the outer lip. A slight contraction and incrassation 

 of the center of the outer lip, and a fold or two of the 

 inner lip sometimes occur. Tornatella has no notch at 

 the base of the aperture, which circumstance distin- 

 guishes it from Volvaria; its short spire, and its striated 

 or grooved external surface,^ as well as its lengthened 

 aperture, are characters by which it may be known from 

 Pyramidella; Pedipcs of Adanson is characterized by a 

 large fold on the upper part of the inner lip, and an 

 equally large tooth on the inside near the middle of the 

 outer lip. 



The shells of this Genus are marine : several species 

 are found on the coast of the Indian Ocean; and one or 

 two on those of Europe, the T. faciata of Lam. (Valuta 

 Tornatillis, Linn.) is not unfrequent on our coasts: but 

 we are not convinced of the propriety of uniting the 

 Voluta denticulata et bidentata of Mont, with this Genus. 



Several very pretty fossil species are known; in 

 England they occur in the London clay, crag, inferior 

 Oolite, &c., in the neighbourhood of Paris, in the Calcaire 

 grossier, and at Bordeaux, in an analogous bed. 



De Montiort called this Genus Jlctason, but we 

 willingly follow Lamarck, who has called it Tornatella, 

 from the name of a species which may be considered as 

 the type of the Genus. 



We have represented 



Fig. 1. Tornatella Jiammea, (Voluta Jlammea, Gmel.) 



2. iiitidula. Lam. 



3. _______ sulcata, Auricula sulcata, Lam. a fossil species with an 



acute spire from Grignon. Several fossil species are figured in Sowerby's Mine- 

 ral Conchology, from various strata j under the generic name of Aclaeon. 



