DOLI0M. 



TESTA subovalis, ventricosissima, tenuis, ple- 

 rumque transversim costata vel sulcata, spira 

 brevissima, apertura maxima, in canalem bre- 

 vem, reflexam desinente; labio externo saepius 

 tenui, interdum margine reflexo, crenato: 

 epidermide tenuissima, cornea, induta. 



Omk of the best marked Genera that has been established, 

 for though it is not difficult to recognize its immediate 

 general relation to Cassis, it is, nevertheless, easily dis- 

 tinguished from that, and we do not know any other Ge- 

 nus to which it bears a near affinity. It is true it resem- 

 bles Harpa in general form, and has been arranged toge- 

 ther with that and Cassis among the Buccina by Linneans ; 

 the differences, however, are so great that there can be 

 no danger of their being confounded. We regret that we 

 have never seen the animal of any of these three Genera, 

 it is, however, more than probable that they will be 

 found to accord very nearly in their characters with the 

 Buccinidae. We are of course ignorant whether or not 

 they have an operculum. 



The species of the Genus Dolium are of an elliptical 

 shape, nearly approaching to globular, being exceedingly 

 ventricose ; they are thin, even when very large ; on the 

 outside they are always more or less strongly ribbed or 

 grooved, the ribs or grooves being transverse to the apex ; 

 spire very short, its apex when complete being in general 

 semitransparent, of a yellowish colour and apparently 

 different substance from the rest of the shell. Aperture 

 very large, terminated at the base by a short reflected 

 canal. Outer lip mostly thin, sometimes, however, it has 



