ANIMAL OF THE COWRIE. 103 



suretta. Under stones near the water-mark Chiton 

 siculas is abundant. More rarely we find Chiton 

 fascicularis and cajetanus. The Littorina petraea 

 is found at the very edge of the water, not 

 differing from specimens gathered on the west 

 coast of Britain. Species of Vermetus indicate the 

 zoological character of the province. Also nume- 

 rous forms of Trochus, of which one, Trochus 

 It/ciacus, has not been observed elsewhere. The 

 animals of all the species of this genus may be as 

 easily distinguished from each other by their 

 colours as by their shells. The M.urex trunculus, 

 Pollia maculosa, Columbella rustica, Fasciolaria 

 tarentina, Fusus lignarius and Conus mediterraneus, 

 all shells of handsome aspect, and sub-tropical 

 forms, are abundant in similar situations. Under 

 the large stones in many of the little creeks 

 we found one of the larger European forms 

 of cowrie, the Cypraea spurca. When first seen 

 it presents the aspect of a gorgeous slug, bristly 

 with ramified processes. The moment it is 

 touched all its ornamental armament vanishes ; 

 and instead of a soft slimy mollusk, we find 

 in our grasp a hard and polished shell. This 

 change depends on the organization of the 

 animal. The smooth shells of the cowrie are, 



