42 
BULLETIN - OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
larger, and nearly as abundant. With that species it cannot be con- 
founded, for it lias a very lew spire, no waves, lines, or sculpturing of 
any kind except the simple longitudinal lines of growth, and an aper- 
ture simply rounded below with 
no sigD of a notch or canal. It 
is generally ash colored, and 
about two and a half inches long 
and two inches broad. It grows 
much larger than this, however, 
in favorable situations, andWillis 
mentions that he has had speci- 
mens from Sable Island measur- 
ing four or five inches in length, 
and broad in proportion. 
The Round Whelk is rarely 
found in rocky situations, prefer" 
ing sand and mud bottoms. It 
is not as particular about the 
purity of the water it inhabits as 
is generally supposed, for it is 
found up the St. Croix River at the Raven’s Head and perhaps further. 
On the flats of Oak Bay, especially on the borders of the deeper parts, 
it is exceedingly abundant, and there its habits may be easily watched. 
It not only lives on the surface, but beneath it, the great expanded 
muscular foot enabling it to burrow readily. 
Everywhere on the flats around our coast, there may be found 
valv< s of Mussels, Clams and other shells, many of which show a neatly 
bored round hole, one sixth of an inch in diameter. These are the 
remains of the victims of Lxmatia. Grasping the shell with its powerful 
foot, it rasps a hole through it with its file-like tongue, inserts its 
proboscis, and sucks out the juices and soft parts. Not only bivalves, 
but various Gasteropods* are attacked by it, and it is said even its own 
young. It even attacks successfully the great Beach-clam ( Mactra 
solklmhna). It also feeds upon dead fish. Small specimens are frequently 
found resembling this species in shape, but showing three revolving 
•chestnut-colored bands. These are now considered a variety of L. heros , 
and are called var trneriata. Its egg-masses appropriately called 
“ Sand-saucers ” are quite common on the flats. The eggs are arranged 
in a “ mass of sand glued together into the shape of a broad bowl, open 
Fig. 8. — Lxmatia lieros. Natural Size. 
*The writer saw last summer, at Oak Bay, a large Buccinum undatum which 
had been attacked by a Lunatia little larger than itself. Though the boring had 
not commenced, the former was completely enclosed by the foot of the latter and 
had its aperture quite covered with a sticky slime. It at first seemed dead, but on 
being placed in water revived and seemed none the worse for its adventure. 
