The Conchologist’s First Book — Edgar A. Poe, 1839 — reading text

trun- cated as in the Achatina, and differs from the Pirena in having only a sinus or widened opening at the base of the shell; aperture covered by a horny operculum. Inhabits the rivers of the Archi- pellago. Three species. Melanopsis costata. Melanopsis levigata. M. prerosa. FAMILY X. Purisromiana. Three genera. 1. Genus Valvata. PI. X. Animal. See Helix. Shell. Found only in fresh water; subdiscoid or conoid, um- bilicated spiral whorls rounded; angular at the summit; aperture round, not modified by the penultimate whorl; the margins sharp and united ; operculum orbicular and horny. Inhabits the rivers of Europe and America. Two species. Valvata piscinalis. *Valvata arcnifera. (Lea.) 2. Genus Paludina. Pl. X. Animal. See Helix. Sheil. Generally found in fresh water, though some species have been found where it is salt; conoid covered with a greenish epidermis; the whorls rounded or convex, spiral cavity modified by the last whorl; aperture rounded, oval, oblong, angular at the summit ; margins united, acute, never reflected outwards, opercu- lum orbicular and horny. Inhabits the rivers of America and Europe. Nineteen species. Paludina vivipara. Paludina achatina. P. Bengalensis. P. Australis. P. viridis. P. impura. P. Francesii. P. muriatica. *P. sinistrosa. *P. hyalina. al aa CONCHOLOGY. 105 *P. Nuttaliana. *P. unicolor. *P. virens. *P. nuclea. *P. pallida. *P. decisa. *P. subcarinata. *P. fuscus. * *P, Nickliniana. 3. Genus Ampullaria. Pl. X. Animal. Inflated, globular, spiral; foot oval, with a trans- verse furrow at its anterior edge; head wide; tentacula superior, very long, conical and pointed; eyes situated at their external base, and supported upon a very apparent peduncle; mouth ver- tical, situated between two lips disposed in form of a horse shoe and forming a kind of muzzle; no superior tooth; a bristly lingual band, but not prolonged into the abdominal cavity; a very large respiratory cavity, divided in two by an incomplete horizontal partition. Animals of this genus are oviparous; producing an egg nearly as large as that of a pigeon, in which is found the young animal complete, and in a perfectly formed shell. Shell. This genus appears to partake of the characteristics, both uf the Paludina and the Natica, being fluviatile and fre- quently attaining a large size; spire very short, the last whorl much larger than all the others together; globular, very ventri- cose, umbilicus small, forming a compressed funnel shaped aper- ture, without interior callosity; aperture longer than broad with margins united; columellar lip thickened, projecting and reflected over the umbilicus; operculum horny. Inhabits the rivers of Europe. Thirteen species. Ampullaria vivipara. Ampullaria rugosa. A. fasciata. A. canaliculata. A. effusa. A. Guinica. A. virens. A. carinata. A. avellana. A. intorta. A. fragilis. A. conica. *A,. Pealiana. x — . 106 CONCHOLOGY. FAMILY XI. Neritacea. Four genera. one 1. Genus Weutting, Pl. X. | Animal. Globular ; foot circular, thick, without a furrow ante- riorly, or a lobe for the operculum posteriorly, with a bipartite columellar muscle; conical tentacule; eyes subpedunculate at their external side ; mouth without labial tooth, but with a denti- culated tongue prolonged into the visceral cavity ; a single large pectiniform branchia. Shell. This genus was formerly classed with the Nerita, which in form it much resembles, but from the circumstance of the latter inhabiting the sea, and Neritine fresh water; it now forms a separate genus, thin, smocth, or finely striated, in all the species known, the right side of the aperture does not possess any crenula- tions or teeth; the operculum is provided with a lateral tooth on one side. Some species are armed with spines; aperture semi- circular; left margin smooth and sharp; spire imperfect, generally dissolved by the animal. Inhabits the fresh water rivers of Europe. Twenty-eight species. Neritacea puversa. Neritacea semiconica. N. pulligera. N. strigilata. N. dubia. N. meleagris. N. zebra. N. virginea. N. zigzag.: N. fluviatilis, N. gagates. N. viridis. N. lugubris. N. Betica. N. lineolata. N. Oweniana. — N. fasciata. | N, careosa. N. Domingensis. N. caffra. N. auriculata. N. Smithii. N. crepidularia. NN. spinosa. N. brevispina. N. Oweni. N. corona, N, pulchella. i +. CONCHOLOGY. 107 2. Genus Werita. Pl. X. Animal. See Neritina. Shell. Marine, but never spined, solid, semiglobular, flattened beneath, not imbilicated; aperture large, entire, semilunar, the external margin much hollowed, ; the columella sharp and often dentated, operculum horny, subspiral, with a. projecting tooth. Inhabits the seas of S. America and W. Indies. Twenty species. Nerita exuvia. Nerita lineata. N. textilis. N. scabricosta. N. undata. N. plicata. N. peloronta. N. tassellata. N. chlorostoma. N. signata. N. artata. N. ornata. N. polita. N. Australis. N. albicella. N. rudis. N. chameleon. N. Ascensionis. N. versicolor. N. Malaccensis. 3. Genus WVavicella. Pl. X. Animal. Oval, not spiral, foot elliptical, very large, with a thin subpapillary edge, advanced rather anteriorly, without mar- ginal furrow, but attached on each side to the visceral mass in all its posterior portion so as to form a sort of cavity open trans- versely behind; head very broad and semilunate; tentacula conical, contractile distant; eyes subpedunculated at the external root of the tentacula; mouth large and longitudinal. Shell. Fluviatile, elliptical, or oblong, convex above, summit straight, depressed to the margin, concave beneath, no columella, the columellar edge replaced by a sharp partition, covering part of the aperture; a sinus of its left extremity ; muscular impres- sion horse-shoe shaped, open in front and interrupted behind ; thin calcareous operculum, with a sublate, lateral tooth adhering to the posterior margin. Inhabits rivers in the Isle of France. Four species. Navicella elliptica. Navicella lineata. N. tesselatus. N. porcelaniea. 108 . CONCHOLOGY. s 4, Genera Watica. Pl. XI. Animal. Oval, subspiral; foot profoundly and transversely bilobed anteriorly, and having a horny or calcareous operculum ; head provided with long setaceous tentacula, flat and auriculated at the base ; eyes sessile at the external side of the root of the ten- tacula ; mouth armed with a labial tooth. Sheil. . Marine, distinguished from the Nerita by having no teeth, and having an umbilicus modified by a collosity; very smooth and glossy, no epidermis, spire evident, but low, columel- lar edge not toothed; right edge without teeth; operculum calcareous and smooth, semispiral, with concentrical ribs, fitting a groove on the columella. Inhabits the W. Indian Ocean and American seas. Thirty-six species. Natica ampullaria. Natica unifasciata. ZAAZAZAAZAZAZAZZAAAAAAANA” - mamilla. mamillaris. . albumen. . glaucina. caurena. . monilifera. . labrella. . rufa. . plumbea. N. lineata. . conica. N. fulminata. . aurantia. 3 N. maculoso. . melanostoma. N. vittata. N. castanea. NN. arachynoidea. N. zebra. N. Marochiensis. N. Javanica. N. zonarie. . cruentata. . millepunctata. N. cancellata. . vitellus. N. patula. . helvacea. N. duplicata. . collaria. N. intricata. N. glabrata. N. Chinensis. *N. consolidata. FAMILY XII. JANTHINEA. One genus. 1. Genus Janthina. PI. XI. Animal. Of oval form, spiral provided with a circular concave CONCHOLOGY. 109 foot, accompanied with a vesicular subcartilaginous mass, and natatory appendages on each side; head very thick; tentacula scarcely at all contractile; eyes situated beneath the extremity of long peduncles placed at the external side of the tentacula, and appearing to forma part of them; mouth at the extremity of a very thick proboscidiform muzzle, between two vertical, subcarti- laginous lips furnished with sharp spines. Shell. Of a beautiful violet colour, found in numbers floating on the surface of the ocean, suspended by a vesicular appendage which gives a rich purplestain. Extremely thin and fragile, spire low, lateral, pointed, with subcarinated whorls; aperture large, subangular, modified by the last whorl of the spire, edges dis- united, the left formed by the columella, which is straight, con- tinuing beyond the base, right edge sharp, with a sinus in the middle. Inhabits the Atlantic Ocean. Three species. Janthina naticoides. Janthina communis. J. exigua. FAMILY XIII. Macrostomrana. Four genera. 1, Genus Sigaretus. Pl. XI. Animal. Body oval, flat beneath; edges of the mantle ver- tical, thin, extending beyond the body in all directions, sloped anteriorly ; the mantle itself dilated superiorly. Shell. More or less thick, internal, without colour, much de- pressed, with a short, low, lateral spire ; left edge of the aperture trenchant; two lateral muscular impressions very distant. In- habits the Indian Ocean. Four species. Sigaretus convexus. Sigaretus cancellatus. S. Haliotoideus. S. levigatus. 2. Genus Stomatella. Pl. XI. Animal. Unknown. Shell. Distinguished from the Stomatia by being destitute of a tranverse rib, orbicular, oblong earshaped, imperforate; aper- 11 110 CONCHOLOGY. ie am ture entire, large, sublongitudinal ; right lip effuse, dilated, open. Inhabits the Indian Ocean. Five species. Stomatella imbricata. ‘Stomatella sulcifera. S. rubra. S. auricula. S. planulata. 3. Genus Stomatia. Pl. XI. Animal. Unknown. Shell. Earshaped, imperforate, spire prominent; aperture en- tire, large, oblong ; right margin aad columella equally raised; a transverse and tuberculated rib on the back. Inhabits the Indian Ocean. Two species. Stomatia phymotis. Stomatia obscurata. 4, Genus Haliotis. Pl. XI. inimal. Body oval, much depressed, slightly spiral poste- riorly, provided with a large foot doubly fringed at its circum- ference; head depressed; tentacula a little flattened ; eyes at the summit of prismatic peduncles situated at the external side of the tentacula ; mantle very thin deeply slit at the left side; the two lobes pointed and forming by their union a kind of canal to con- duct water into the branchial cavity, and including two very long unequal branchial combs. Sheli. ‘This beautiful genus derives its name from its resem- blance to the human ear. The exterior, tuberculated, and gene- rally loaded with marine substances, giving it an uncouth appear- ance, but its irridescent interior forms a magnificent contrast; it is pearly, with all the hues of the rainbow, recurving very de- pressed, oval, spire very small, sometimes eroded, almost posterior, aperture as large as the shell, with margins reflected inwards, the right sharp, left flat, and enlarged; disk pierced with holes, disposed in a line parallel to and near the Jeft margin, the last commencing with a notch. These holes formed by the animal, as it increases the size of the shell, to admit the passage of a short syphon; they adhere to rocks, and are removed with much diffi- culty. Inhabits the sea at Molucca. Nineteen species. > CONCHOLOGY. lii Haliotis tuberculata. Haliotis dubia. H. striata. H. iris. H. asinina. H. tubifera. H., glabia. H. excavata. H. lamellosa. - Hz. australis. H. unilateralis. H. Mide. H. rugosa. H. rubra. H. canaliculata. H. tricostata. H. tricostalis. H. corrugata. H. Marie. FAMILY XIV. Pricacea. ‘Two genera. 1. Genus Yornatella. Pl. XI. Animal S8ody oval, subspiral; foot divided into two heels by a wide transverse furrow; head provided with two vertical cylin- drical tentacula, having the eyes placed sessilely upon their inte- rior side. Shell. Convolute, oval, cylindrical, mostly striated trans- versely ;