17 
CYPRiEA. 
Gen. Char. Shell uni valve, ovate, convex, margins 
involute. Spire small, covered. Aperture longi- 
tudinal, narrow, toothed on both sides c 
CYPRAEA oviformis. 
TAB IV. 
Spec. Char. Egg shaped, tumid, smooth, slightly 
marginate ; aperture widest at the lowest end, 
left side of the aperture obscurely toothed; 
right lip involute, tumid. 
The shell is most gibbous at about one-third of its length 
downwards, then tapering to a short beak, which forms a 
broadish canal; the aperture vertical, narrowest where the 
body of the shell is most gibbous, and much widest towards 
the beak, dentated on both sides. The whole shell smooth 
and shining, with the stria? of growth generally delicately 
marked in elegant curves round the beak; there are some 
longitudinal angles, scarcely perceptible, surrounding the 
most swelling parts ; colour pale brown buff. It does not 
appear that this shell was known any where before the 
opening of the hill at Highgate, not even in Hampshire. 
Some specimens are so well preserved as to retain entire 
the external shining porcelain coat, which is so admirable 
in some recent shells of this Genus, but not the transparent 
epidermis, although it looks almost as if it were in some of 
these preserved specimens ; this china-like polished surface 
seems to prevent parasitical shells or animals from adhering 
to it. This coat is often more beautiful in consequence of 
