224 
On the Animal of Ampullaria. 
[July 
Sir, 
VI . — On the Animal of Ampullaria. 
lo the Editor of Gleanings in Science. 
The observations of your valuable correspondent W. H. B. having directed 
attention to the animal of Ampullaria , permit me to offer the following remarks 
through the medium of your pages. 
1 procured several specimens of each of the species mentioned bv W. H. B.: 
die dark olive and the banded shell ; and from experience I am enabled to confirm 
the leading characters which lie has given ; also, from as careful a dissection as 
could be made without the aid of a microscope, I can testify to the internal 
- at r y . 0f ou r 1 Eastern species being in some points similar to their congener of 
the West ; as the latter is described by Mr. Guilding in the 4th vol. p. 535, of the 
Zoological Journal. Our species have the genre in lobos duos tentaadi/ormes 
expanse, the ^ os anticam labns pUcatis. Mandibulce cartilaginex, musculis 
V f td £ tumidls "the oculi pcdtmculati, ad basi externam tentaculorum," and 
the tentacula vera duo, longissima » (though I doubt if setacea be not too 
stiong a term,) cVc. but as they belong to the new genus Pachystoma, of that 
gen eman, ie} ia\e calcareous instead of horny opercula ; and probably many 
rt>!inV ar,a 10 m ? structure may be discovered, on a more careful examination 
t an I am enabled to make. The head of the animal of the larger species of our 
• ni S transverseI y corrugated, of a dark colour, and thickly covered with small 
irregular , oblong, vermilion-coloured spots; chiefly placed on the ridges be- 
tween the corrugations ; the upper sides of the foot, of the tentacula?, and of the 
tentaculiform cheeks, are marked in the same manner. The eyes have the appear- 
T e r a r ck p0int ’ with a light red areola ; but in the specimens I have examin- 
ed, tney do not seem to possess the higher degree of sensibility which W. H. B. 
is inclined to allow them : ou the contrary, although the animal is sensible to the 
slightest touch upon the vessel in which it was contained, it bore undisturbed the 
approac i and recession of a lighted candle ; and this when immersed in a large 
hottle of water, through the medium of which the light was probably largely 
increased. I may here remark that a wide mouthed white glass bottle, is an ex- 
/!i SSe , the P ur P° se of examining molluscous animals, for if the water 
per ec y c ear, every surface of the specimen may be conveniently viewed, 
l he animal of the smaller, or banded Ampullaria , is rightly described by W. 
} ’ (] 'f S P f a hghter colour than the above: neither has it so much red on the 
head foot, and tentacula ; the foot, indeed, is almost white. It is desirable that 
e functions of this animal should be accurately observed, that it may be com- 
pared with the Ampullaria of the West, and the difference of structure if any 
brought to corroborate the propriety of the separation of the genus, founded upbrf 
the difference of the operculum and aperture. Though some of Mr. Guildford’s 
perl ; a P s > from a 100 S reat fondness for new names, I cannot 
of the nnpiJ l m instance correct ; for l do not look upon the circumstances, 
! . P nf t ] »° r t ! he 0ne animaI being borny, whilst that of the other is testa- 
the other r , CVaS r mar ^. n f to s *P ius caniculato ” of the one, whilst 
^Ler senamtin^ ?b r0 ^ ?***} aS . S ° unim P ortant aa not to warrant a 
h u “i Z n l merd / u f SpeC1GS - lt is difficult t0 imagine so great 
in the structure bab,tat . lon ® of the two animals, without a material difference 
n the structure of the bodies that construct and inhabit them. To prevail upon 
organic variS™ 7“°.? few are more competent to attempt the discovery of this 
arid 1 need n ’ ,, y d,ssec tion and observation, is a principal object of this note, 
checks i arc< ^ suggest the discovery of the functions of the tentaculiform 
1 mav uA i i° ^ ie physiology 01 this animal well worthy of being known, 
the bottle l aVe H | S ? observed the floating of Ampullaria in jhils, and in 
tnav use tl r« er o e ptioned I have seen it fall below the surface, and swim (if I 
means nf Hip f' r , * i e . surrounding fluid, propelling itself, as it would seem, bv 
laro-e broad foot* is 1 us at f'5 ude the appearance of the animal is striking. The 
tentaculiform rbe 1 ex P anded beaeatb ; the head, with its moveable and moving 
seiie a" f T " ^ d . tUrned ^ to side, as eager 
any thing it can find in its way ; whilst the long, slender 
searching around, now in the form of waving lines, now 
•On tfiAtYicalroc J • . it. * . ° 7 
to f ~ a ifruu, duQ uirnea rroni side to side, as eairer 
tentaculae, are ever " fc* thin? ^ ^ find ™ its Way ; whilst the long, slender 
doubled backwards unoiwf Unff , ar0Und ’ now in the form of waving lines, now 
as messengers to exnfore tbemselves ’ and i a S ain protruded to their utmost extent, 
to the peduncles at th i the way ’ or aids to the ocular points which are affixed 
cular shell restV , ^ 5 and OVer the whole of this, the large, dark, orbi- 
who seems to supportTt. ^ °P erculu m> Jontaining and sustaining the animal. 
Midnap 
ore, 1830 . 
I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 
J. T. P. 
