ASPERGILLUM. 



TESTA aequivalvi, subequilatera, utrinque hi- 

 ante, in inferiorem et internum tubi testacei 

 parietem omnino conferruminata, umbonibus 

 extra tubum subprominulis : tubo antice (inferne) 

 clauso, at disco terminali poris minimis, nume- 

 rosis, exttis subprominulis, fissuraque centrali, 

 et margine tubulis minimis plerumque cireum- 

 cineto; perforator postice (superne) elongato, 

 plus miniisve attenuato, aperto, margine inter- 

 dum reflexo, undulato. 



LiNNB has probably arranged the extraordinary shell 

 which may be considered as the type of the Lamarckian 

 Genus Aspergillum among his SerpulcBy on account of its 

 tubular form and his faith in the prevailing error that it 

 was naturally fixed to the rocks by the smaller and gene- 

 rally broken extremity. Lamarck, judging from ana- 

 logy, and without knowing the animal, which we believe 

 has never been seen by any naturalist, has nevertheless 

 ascertained and exposed this error, and arranged the 

 Arrosoir in a place which it seems very naturally to oc- 

 cupy, namely, in the family to which he gives the appella- 

 tion of Tubicolees, on account of its animal inhabitants 

 surrounding themselves with a testaceous tube in con- 

 junction with the usual valves appertaining to all other 

 Conchifera, The existence of these two valves has not 

 been recjOgnized by naturalists until very lately, because, 

 as we suppose, th^y have not paid a sufficiently minute 

 attention to the real structure of these singular shells, 

 but have been satisfied with observing and admiring their 



