53 
Description of the Animal of Ampullaria, 
The animal of Ampullaria differs also from Paludina, Nerita, or any other 
neighbouring genus, by the elongation ot the lobes of the head on each side of the 
mouth, the genie being produced to about a third of the length of the tentacular 
than which they are stouter, arid possess, but in a less degree, the power of exten- 
sion and retraction ; like the rest of the head, they are of □ black colour, while the 
tentaculae are dirty yellow*. The mouth is vertical, and occup’es the sinus be- 
tween them. At first sight the animal appears to have four tentaculee, and it is 
only on more particular examination that the illusion is dispelled. These retract, 
ile lobes probably serve as palpi to explore substances, and to enable the ampullaria 
to select its food. 
In other respects it resembles Paludina. As in that genus, the ala is formed into 
a tube for conveying water to the brancbia?. This tube it can extend to some 
length ; a bubble of air frequently escapes from it. The ampullarise hereafter 
mentioned have calcareous opercula ; of Paludina I have shells with calcareous as 
well as homy opercula. 
The Paludina has setaceous tentacula*, which it can roll up spirally on a plane, 
while in the genus under consideration the tentacula? are somewhat obtuse at the 
summit, and do not appear to have so much action. Like PJanorbis, Lymnea, and as 
I have sometimes observed, Paludina ; it possesses the power of floating, as might be 
supposed from the lightness of the ?hell in comparison with its capacity. On going 
to examine, at night, some specimens which were placed in a tub of water, I ob- 
served one, which had crawled up the side to the surface of the w'ater, detach itself 
from the tub and float away. I have not observed them do this in a smaller vessel, 
out of which, if left in the dark, they are apt to crawl and precipitate themselves to 
the ground. This faculty of floating must be of much use to them in ponds and 
jheels, enabling them to pass from one plant to another without descending to the 
bottom. To these plants they are generally found adhering, just under the sur- 
face of the water* 
The following are descriptions of the only species I have met with in the coun- 
try. 
1. Ampullaria Shell thin, ovate-globose, with transverse fuscous bands ; 
epidermis olivaceous, polished; spire obtuse, pale-orange, bordering on purple in some 
specimens; aperture chesnut, with fuscous bands: outer lip reflected in old speci- 
mens : inner lip yellow, sometimes tinged with purple. 
2. Ampullaria Shell ovate- globose, brownish yellow ; with longitudinal stripes 
of a darker colour in young specimens; spire obtuse, generally eroded and greenish 
in old specimens, in which also the outer lip is reflected ; aperture, white ; lips, yel- 
low or orange. 
The shell of the last described species is rather thicker than the first, and the 
epidermis is often worn away on the body-wliorl, near the inner lip, by the oper- 
culum, which is turned back on that part while the animal is crawling. It attains 
a much greater size than the first species, and is generally found in jheels, while 
the other appear# to affect ponds and tanks, though it sometimes accompanies the 
second species in jheels. They are found in most parts of the Gangetic provinces, 
but the second species is the most generally distributed. Ic is probable, that one or 
other of them is to be met with in the fresh -waters near Calcutta, as I have observ- 
ed the shells dug up, with their opercula, in the neighbourhood of Calcutta, and 
included in the clay banks of the Bhngiralhi at different places 
1 am almost doubtful whether these two shells should lie considered as separate 
species, or merely classed as varieties of the same, on account of the similarity of 
form ; but as they are found sometimes together, and at other places one species is 
to be found to the total exclusion of the other, I am inclined to consider the dif- 
ferences observable Lufficient to constitute them separate specie's. Not having the 
second part of the C h vol. of Lamarck's Animaux sans Vertebres, I am unable to 
state whether these shells are described in that work, and have therefore declined 
naming them from an unwillingness to run the risk ol increasing the number of 
synonyms. The first species appears to be nearly related to, if not identical with 
A. reflexa of Swainson ; but as he does not give the colouring of the body of the 
shell, having apparently taken the characters from an uncoated specimen, it is 
impossible to determine. 
W. H. B. 
* This description was taken from the second species. If my memory serves me, 
the colour of the first species is darker. 
