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The nuces or bullas, commonly called the 
pewit's eggs, or dipping-fnails, the dippers and 
lea-nuts, are generally of an oval fhape, and iiir.- 
bilicated at the bottom ; the mouth is very wide, 
efpecially at the top, and narrowing to a great de- 
gree downwards; the lip is thin, fliarp, and naked, 
or without any border, and with a fmall facing or 
lip on the upper part of the mouth. 
The femi-porcellana;, or fecond genus, are 
Shells refembling the cvprege, or cowries, in their 
appearance; but their aperture is more open; 
neither are the lips dentared. Linnsus makes 
a genus of thefe, which he calls bulla, including 
under the fame appellation the preceding genus 
of nuces. Divila makes them a genus of cow- 
ries; and others rank them as cowries. The fpe- 
cies of this genus are not very numerous ; fome of 
them, however, fuch as the weaver's fhuttle, and 
the poached egg, are eileemecl rare and valuable. 
The tliird genus is the cyprfea, or porcellana, 
called alfo the cowry. Shells of this genus are 
generally femi-oval, with their mouths in the flat 
part. The fpires of the cowries make their revo- 
lutions within the body of the Shell ; their aper- 
ture is on the flat fide, being a narrow opening of . 
the Shell; the lips, which nearly approach each 
other, are broad, turning inwards, and toothed ; 
the two ends or extremes on the upper part arc 
prominent; at one extreme there is a wry gutter 
or opening; the other extreme has alfo a gutter, 
but it is ftraight or perpendicular; and on it's 
fide, in fome fpecies, there is another protube- 
rance, like a finnll rude clavicle or turban. The 
diftinguifhing characleriftic of this genus is the 
deep indentions on the interior edges of the lips, 
which divides it from the femi-porcellanfE. Lin- 
nJEUs ar?heres to this effential chara£l?r; but fomiC 
other conchologifts, not regarding it, have con- 
founded them all together. 
The cowries are extremely numerous; and, 
both in colour and polifli, are beautiful beyond 
defcription: and, what renders them ilill more 
admirable, they bring this fine polilh with them 
from the fea ; fo that, vvfere they lefs numerous, 
they v^^ould perhaps be efceemed as valuable as 
the i-iio^ curious volutes. They feem to be lit- 
toral Shells; and are found on the coafts of the 
Molucca ifles, the Maldives, Madagafcar, and the 
Weft Indies. This genus is rarely found foffile. 
The fourth fubdivifion or order includes the 
turbinated or fpiral univalves; which are Shells 
whofe Ipires are external, fhewing themfelves on 
the exterior furface of the Shell, in that part called 
the clavicle or turban, which is either produced 
ftiort or flat, according to the fcveral genera or 
fpecies. 
The feventh fairiily under this clafsis the cym- 
brum or paper nautilus. The Shells of this fa- 
mily, in their external conformation, refemble a 
fliip or boat, whofe upper part or head is narrow, 
tu.rns fpirally, and is fimilar to the ftern; the refl 
of it wide.!., to t'le other end, is quite hollow, 
forms an horizontal aperture, and lies lower than 
the :l-rn or fpiral end. There are only three or 
four known ipecies; and thole are brov»?nifh or 
whitifh, almoPc as thin as paper, and hence they 
have obtained the tippeliation of the paper nau- 
tili. LinnfEus forms a diftinft genus of thefe, 
under the denomination of argonauta. This fa- 
mily is the real failor; the nautilus and pompilus 
of the Greeks and Latins; to Vv-hich our celebrated 
Engl iff! poet refers — 
' Learn of the little nautilus to fall;' 
VoL,lL 
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for it never has been fatisfa6lorily proved, that 
the other kind, or pearly nautilus, ever fails, of 
navigates his Shell, 
Thefe Shells are natives of many parts of the 
Mediterranean, and alfo of the Oriental coafts. 
The inclofed animal is of the polypus kind; and, 
according to Argenville, the head is of a mode- 
rate fize, with two large eyes. It has eight arms 
or legs, of a foft fleftiy fubftance, thickeft towards 
the body, connedled by a flight membrane; and 
thefe are of a filvery colour, fet with fuckers or 
knobs on the fides, flatted like oars, and adapted 
for fwimiining. They fupply the place of oars 
when the animal is defirous of rowing his vefix:]. 
The fix foremoft are fliort; and he balances him- 
felr'", and extends them as he fwims: the two 
hinder ones are longer than the others; and thefe 
he plunges in the fea by v/ay of rudder; at the 
fame tim.e that they fupport the Hun or mem- 
brane, which .he ufes as a fail to ply the v/ind. 
Thus equipped, he navigates in calm and ferene 
weather; but, when apprehenfive of danger, he 
retires within the Shell, which bv that means ad- 
mits the water, and finks to the bottom. He fre- 
quently, however, pumps out the water; and ofterl 
quits the Shell, which floating about in a ftate of 
inanity, is by the waves generally dafhed to pieces 
againft the rocks. 
The ear-fnails, or auris-cochlea, called alfo the 
Venus-ear, conftitutes the eighth family. Thefe 
Shells fo much refemble the fea-ears in fhape, 
that moft authors have ranked them in that fa- 
mily, and called them non-perforated fea-ears. 
Lifter and Gualtieri rank them as cochlea; and 
Linnaeus afllgns them to a genus which he calls 
helix. Da Cofta defines them to be Shells fo open 
as to refemble fea-ears, but not perforated with a 
row of holes. They have a broad ledge along 
one fide, projefting over the cavity, and turbinat- 
ing into one fingle flat fpire, quite level with the 
bottom of the Shell : this fpire is alfo pretty wide, 
and extends to near the middle of the bottom or 
under part. There are but few Shells of this fa- 
mily. 
The ninth family is the cylindri, cylinders, or 
olives. Thefe Shells are ranked by Linnasus, in 
his genus of voluta, under the appellation of cy- 
lindroideas. Da Cofta feparates the family into 
two genera; the cylindri emarginati, or fuch 
whofe edge is quite even and fharp; and the cy- 
lindri marginati, or fuch whofe edge has a very 
thick border, which turns over into a very promi- 
nent ledge on the back, like to the helm.ets. The 
fpecies of Shells belonging to this family are very 
numerous and beautiful. 
The voluta, or volutes, conftitute the tenth fa- 
mily of the univalves. Linnseus tranfpofes the 
name of voluta to the miitres, Perfian crowns, cy- 
linders, and other univalves, with the pillar platted 
or wreathed. The volutes are beautiful Shells. 
The eleventh family is called globofse, or tuns i 
and the Shells of this family are defined to be ge- 
nerally of a globofe fhape, the body being much 
fwellfd or rounded, whence they derive their 
name: they have fliort turbans; the mouth is ex- 
tremely wide, and very large; and the upper part 
of it terminates in a wry channel, which is very 
fliort, and turns backward. None have a pillar 
or columella lip; though in fome, as the Perfian 
crowns and melons, the columella or pillar itfelf 
is Vt'rinkled or plaited. The Shells comprehended 
under this family arc the tuns, partridges, figs, 
harps, Perfian crowns, and melons. Though not 
4 B very 
