H E L M I N T 
of all (hells; the external and internal laminae of which, 
together with its beautiful arrangement of fpiraled 
chambers, are corredtly delineated in the Conchology 
Plates II. and III. This genus contains thirty-one 
fpecies, feveral of which are found fofiil, particularly 
the fpecies called belemnita ; which in England received 
anciently the name of ih'underfione, from a notion that 
they are thunderbolts, and generally to be found after 
a (form. Modern improvements in natural hiitory and 
mineralogy have completely removed thefe vulgar 
errors. Many fmall fpecies of nautiles are found on the 
fhores of Great Britain ; but the pompilius, figured in the 
above-mentioned plates, is an inhabitant of the Indian 
and African feas. 
The Argon'auta, called alfo the paper nautilus, 
from its thin texture, is let down by conchologifts as 
the primeval navigator ; and indeed tiie fight of this 
fhell when under fail, and the fagacity of its conductor, 
attradl equally our aftonifliment and admiration. See 
the article Conchology, vol. v. p. 24. There are 
only three fpecies in this genus; the fined: of which, 
argonauta argo, is given in the Conchology Plate V. 
fig. 1. The animal is a fepia, or a clio. 
Conus is a very extenfive genus, comprehending 
the families of univalve fhells of an oblong conical 
figure, with truncate or gibbous bafe. Many rich and 
diverfified colours, difplayed with a regularity and 
beauty far beyond the ingenuity of man, have contributed 
to render fome of thefe fhells of incredible value in 
colleftions. The included animal is a limax, or flug. 
There are feventy-two fpecies, befides many varieties; 
fome of which have been dignified with fplendid names 
by conchologifts; Inch as cedo nulli, imperial crowns, 
tulips, admirals, &c. for ft riel delineations of which, 
fee the Conchology Plate VI. None of thefe elegant 
fhells are ever found on the coafts of Britain ; they are 
chiefly inhabitants of the Afiatic and African feas, and 
feem to derive their fplendour, like birds, &c. from the 
warmth of their climate. 
CvFRiEA, the genus that contains the cowries, and 
little (hells which pafs in Bengal, Siam, South Ame¬ 
rica, and in many remote Indian countries, as the re. 
prefeniative' of money. The inhabitant is a flug ; and 
there are a hundred and twenty fpecies; fome of the 
choiceft of which, for collections, are exhibited in the 
Conchology Plate IV. with fome figures of the fmall 
ones ufed for money. 
Bulla, a genus which differs principally from Cy- 
praea, in not having the lips .toothed, but fmooth or 
plain. Like it, the animal is a flug; and there are fifty- 
two fpecies. The ovum, called pewit’s' egg, much va¬ 
lued in collections, is delineated in the laft-mentioned 
plate at fig. 1. as are feveral others all round the centre 
of the plate. The volva, called by conchologifts the 
weaver’s (hurtle, fliown in the fame engraving at fig. 3, 
is alfo prized, as is the ficus, or fig, delineated in the 
Conchology Plate VIII. fig, 6. Several of the bulla 
fpecies which have been differed, are found to be pro¬ 
vided with a ltomach or organ very fimilar to the giz¬ 
zard of a fowl, and in which were found divers fmall 
fhells with the animals alive in them, and even a young 
one of its own genus, partly triturated ; fo that the bullae 
appear to feed on the fmaller (hell-animals, which they 
fwallow down alive, and, after trituration, return the 
fhells by the fame mouth or orifice which takes them 
in, like many of the mollufca order. 
Voluta is a 'mod extenfive genus, comprifing the 
©ne-celied fpiral (hells without a beak, with plaited 
illar, and generally without lips ; and, though the 
umble inhabitant is nothing more than a flug, yet the 
fhells, at lead many of them, fuch as the mitres, papal 
crowns, &c. rank high in every choice collection, and 
are confequently of a great price. There are no lefs 
than one hundred and forty-four fpecies, which prin¬ 
cipally inhabit the Indian Seas; though fome of the 
Vol, IX. No. j 9 o. 
H O L O G Y. 3.53 
inferior kinds are found on many of the European 
and American coafts. Voluta papalis, and epifcopalis, 
mitres and papal crowns, are delineated in the Concho¬ 
logy Plate VII. The JEthiopica, or Ethiopian crown, 
is fliown in Plate VIII. fig. 1 ; the voluta vefpertilio, or 
butterfly, at fig. 5; th e glans, at fig. 9. The voluta oliva, 
or olives, in Plate V. fig. 3. 
Buccinum a very copious genus, comprehending 
all thofe animals whole (hells have an ovate aper¬ 
ture, terminating in a_ fliort canal, leaning to therigkt, with 
a rettife beak, and the inner lip expanded. There are 
no lefs than two hundred fpecies, formed into fix 
divifions or families; among which are included the 
tuns, cafques, harps, whelks, partridges, See. of different 
conchologifts; fome of which have been highly prized. 
Amopg thefe are, buccinum dolium, reprefented in the 
Conchology Plate XIII. fig. 2 ; flammeum, in Conchology 
Plate VIII. fig. 3 ; harpa , in the laft mentioned plate at 
fig. 2 ; undatum, in the Helminthology Plate IV. fig. 11; 
fubulatum, in Conchology Plate XII. the two figures in 
both corners at bottom; varicofum, in the fame plate, 
figure in left hand corner at top. In all the fpecies the 
animal is a limax. 
Strombus, a genus of turbinated or fpiral-fhelled 
worms, with the aperture confiderably dilated ; but the 
canal or gutter, contrary to the preceding genus, leans 
toward the left-, which is its principal generic character 
in the Linnaean claflification. Among conchologifts, 
however, the clafs of Strombi is chiefly confined to 
thofe (lender and delicate forms exhibited in the Con¬ 
chology Plate XII. under the title of Strombiformes ; of 
which Linnaeus only takes in fuch as have, beaks or 
gutters projecting at top, or branching out into claws, 
as in Strombus pes pelicanus, in the Helminthology Plate 
IV. fig. 12. Thefe conftitute the firft divifion in this 
order, and are diftinguifhed thus : “ Lip projecting into 
linear divifions or claws.”—One of thefe (hells, the mod 
rare and valuable, is the Strombus chiragra, delineated in 
the Conchology Plate XIV. fig. 1. The alata, or winged 
(hells of conchologifts, viz. fuch as have the right 
margin or lip expanded in a wing-like fliape with age, 
are all included in this genus ; as are a great number of 
the rocks or murices of the ancients. In this genus the 
animal is a limax ; and there are fifty-three fpecies. 
. Murex, a genus of very confiderable extent, con¬ 
taining no lefs than one hundred and eighty-two fpecies, 
divided into fix fedlions or families as follow : 1. Thofe 
armed with thorns or fpines, with the tail or beak 
produced : a fpecimen of which, murex tribulus, the 
thorny woodcock,, is given in the Conchology Plate 
XIII. fig. 6. 2. Thofe whofe futures are expanded 
into crifped foliations, with the bea"k abbreviated, 
called purpura by conchologifts : fpecimens of which 
are given in the laft-mentioried plate at fig. 8. in the 
Conchology Plate XIV. fig. 2, murex ramofus-, and at 
fig. 4, in the fame Engraving, murex fcorpio. 3. Thofe 
with thick protuberant futures; as the murex olearium, 
exhibited in the Conchology Plate VIII. fig. 8. 4. Thofe 
without a manifeft beak, and more or lefs fpinous ; as 
the murex melongera, reprefented in the laft-mentioned 
Engraving, at fig. 7. 5 . Thofe with an elongated clofed 
beak,, unarmed with (pines ; as the murex Babylonius , 
delineated in the Conchology Plate XIV. fig. 6, a moft 
valuable (hell, called by conchologifts the .Tower of 
Babel: other examples of lhells of .this fifth divifion 
are alfo given in the Conchology Plate XIII. fig. 1, 
murex tritonis, the trumpet of war ; and at fig. 7, in the 
fame Engraving, the beautiful fpecies called by Linnaeus 
murex maculofus. 6. Thofe. with a very ihort beak or 
tail, the (hell fubulate, long, and tapering; as repre¬ 
fented in the Conchology Plate XiV. fig. 8 and 9, murex 
aluco. The animal, in all thefe fix families of murices, 
is a limax, or flug. 
Trochus is a very beautiful genus, containing one 
hundred and thirty-three fpecies, divided into three 
4 X clafl'es 
