108 



AEGEAN TESTACEA. 



translucent, and, in some cases, almost trans- 

 parent ; and no person could look upon them 

 without remarking that, in the abysses which 

 these curious creatures inhabited, there could 

 be no disturbing action of waves and currents, 

 for many of them seemed as if the slightest 

 motion would break into fragments their fragile 

 bodies. 



Investigations into the distribution of these 

 and other animals were carried on by the 

 officers of the Beacon to a greater extent, and 

 more accurately than ever done before, on the 

 coast of Lycia. That coast afforded most favour- 

 able opportunities for such investigations. Those 

 of our readers who may desire an acquaintance 

 with the details of these researches, may con- 

 sult the " Report on the iEgean Invertebrata," in 

 the Reports of the British Association for 1843. 



It is interesting to find that we can with 

 certainty identify many of these iEgean Tes- 

 tacea with the species alluded to, or described 

 by Aristotle. The study of them, of their 

 anatomy and habits, seems to have occupied 

 much of his attention ; and his knowledge of 

 their structure was certainly far beyond that of 

 nine-tenths of modern writers on Mollusks. No 



