BUCCINUM 



TESTA subovata vel oblonga, subturrita, apice 

 plerumque obtusiusculo, spira mediocri ; aper- 

 tura siiborbiculari, longitudine latitudinem pau- 

 Ihm siiperante, basi emarginata : lahio externo 

 simplice, siibreflexo, intus nonnunquam sulcato; 

 interno pl^ls minus ve expanse, crassiusculo. 

 Columella laevi ; canali brevissimo, recto. Oper- 

 culum corneum. 



A Genus, which, though it has already undergone seve- 

 ral dismemherments, would in our opinion, have been 

 more natural, had it been still further reduced : we think, 

 moreover, that science would have been benefited there- 

 by, even though it should prove necessary to constitute 

 several new genera: for while on the one hand it 

 appears to pass gradually into Fusiis, (with a long straight 

 canal) ; on the other it approaches to Cassis, by the 

 intervention of Nassa, (with an extremely short, but 

 reflected canal) ; then again, it is in some instances diffi- 

 cult to distinguish between the true Buccina and the 

 Pia^purce, as it is also between them and the Terehrce, 

 The characters we have given above, will, as we think, 

 prove sufficient to distinguish it from all its cognate 

 genera. In translating the character of the Genus, we 

 shall also add a few observations by way of amplification 

 for the benefit of learners. 



Shell subovate or oblong, seldom elongated, sub- 

 turrited, apex generally rather obtuse ; spire of middling 

 Jength, rather abruptly acuminated, seldom much longer 

 than the aperture ; which is suborbiculai', mostly rather 



