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

Shell. Very symmetrical, longitudinally twisted throughout nearly all its extent; the cone spiral, conical, regular, circular ; whorls of the spire very evident; partitions simple, concave, and pierced by a single syphon. Inhabits the West Indian seas. One species. Spirula Peronii. 2. Genus WMautilus. Pl. XII. Animal. Body round and terminated posteriorly by a tendi- nous or muscular filament, attaching itself to the syphon, by which the partitions of the shell are pierced ; the mantle opening obliquely, and -prolonged into a sort of hood above the head, (which is provided with digitated tentacula) and surrounding the aperture of the mouth. Shell. Discoid, but slightly compressed, with a rounded or subcarenated back, umbilicated or not, but never mamelounated, the partitions simple, not visible exteriorly ; the last profoundly sunk and perforated by a syphon running through them all. In- habits the Indian Ocean. Two living species. Fifteen fossil. Nautilus Pompilius. Nautilus Umbilicatus. FAMILY XXIII. Heteropopa. ‘Two genera. 1,Genus Argonauta. Pl. XII. Animal. Body conical, elongated, enrolled longitudinally, widened anteriorly, and provided on each side with an arcuated subtriangular, aliform appendage; mouth at the extremity of the angle formed by two inferior lips. De Blainville denies that this animal is at all known, and speaks of one described by M. Oken as a small polypus of the genus Ocythoe. Shell, Navicular, symmetrical, very thin, compressed, bicari- 14 wh, 146 CONCHOLOGY. nated, longitudinally subinvolute in the same plane; aperture very wide, symmetrical, complete, square anteriorly, slightly mo- dified by the turn of the summit, and provided on each side with an earlike appendage having thick and smooth edges. Inhabits the Mediterranean. Three species. Argonauta argo. Argonauta tuberculosa. A. nitida. 2. Genus Carinaria. Pl. XII. Animal. Body elongated, prolonged behind the nucleus into a veritable tail edged at its extremity by a vertical fin; head suffi- ciently distinct, two long conical tentacula; two sessile eyes ; the organs of respiration and the nucleus entirely enveloped in a mantle with lobed edges. Shell. Very thin, symmetrical, a little compressed, without spire, but with the summit a little reflexed posteriorly ; aperture oval and entire. Inhabits the African, Mediterranean, and Aus- tralian seas. Three species. Carinaria vitrea. Carinaria fragilis. C. cymbia. GLOS OF TERMS USED A. Abbreviated, cut short. Abdomen, the belly. Acuminated, sharp pointed. Aculeated, prickly. Alated, winged. Annulated, divided into rings. Annulations, rings. Aperture, the orifice or opening of the shell. Apex, the point of the spire. Approximating, approaching to- gether. Arcuated, of an arch form. Area, surface between the lines. Articulations, junctures or joints. Attenuated, thin, slender. Aurated, having ears, as the Pecten. Auricled, having ear-like appen- dages. Auriform, ear shaped. B. Barbed, bearded. Base, lower extremity of the shell. Beak, prolongation at the base. SAR Y IN CONCHOLOGY. Beard, see Byssus, Bi, signifying two, Biangulated, having two corners or angles. Bidentate, having two teeth. Bifid, opening with a cleft. Bilobate, divided into two lobes. Bimarginate, two margins or lips. Biradiate, having two rays. Bivalve, having two valves. Blunt, obtuse, opposed to acute. Borer, a piercer. Bulging, gibbous, swollen out. Byssus, common in the Mytilus and Pinna, by which they attach themselves to ob- jects. C. Callous, indurated. Callosity, a protuberance. . Calcareous, relating to lime. Canal, the prolongation of the beak. Canaliculated, grooved. Cardinal, see Teeth. Carinated, like a boat’s keel, al channelled or %\ t a 148 Cartilage, a flexible fibrous sub- stance by which the valves are united. Cartilaginous, resembling a liga- ment. Chambered, divided by parti- tions. — Cicatrix, the muscular impres- sion. Ciliated, edged with bristles or _hairs. Cinerous, of an ash color. Clavate, club shaped. Columella, the upright pillar of the shell. Complicated, doubled together. Compressed, flattened. Concave, hollowed out. Concentric, running to the cen- tre. Cone, the form of a sugar loaf. , Convolute, whorls turning round. Confluent, running together. Conoid, figure like a cone. Contorted, twisted in oblique direction. Contracted, shortened, shrunk, up. Cordate, heart shape. Cordiform, form of a heart. Coriaceous, leather-like consist- ence. 3 ‘ Corneus, resembling horn. Coronal, resembling a crown. Coronated, crowned towards the apex. Costated, ribbed. Cortex, anterior skin. Crenulated, notched at the mar- gin. Crispated, with waving lines. Cuneform, wedge form. Cylindrical, round like a roller. Cybijann, boat-shaped. z CONCHOLOGY. >». Decollated, truncated trans- | versely. Decorticated, divested of epi- dermis. Decussated, lines intersecting each other. Deflexed, bent aside. Dentated, having teeth. Depressed, shallow, flat. | Diaphanous, clear, pellucid. Digitated, having finger-like claws. Disk, the highest part of the valves. Divaricated, spreading out. Divergent, tending to a point. Dorsal, belonging tothe back. Dotted, punctured like a thim- ble. Duplicated, divided into plaits or folds. E. Ears, projections on the sides of the hinge. Echinated, set with spires. Effuse, spread out. Elliptical, oval. Elongated, drawn out. Emarginated, with the edge notched. Ensisform, sabre-shaped. Entire, whole. Epidermis, the outer coating of a shell. Equilateral, all sides alike. Equivalve, both sides alike. Exserted, protruding. : F. Falcated, hooped like a scythe. Fasciated, covered with bands. Ferruginous, of an iron color. Filament, a thread-like process. a, GLOSSARY. Filiform, thread-shaped, slender. Fimbriated, fringed. Fissure, a cleft or slit. Flexuous, zigzag, with angles widening. Flexure, a bending. Fluviatile, belonging to fresh water. Foliaceous, shaped. Fragile, brittle, easily broken. Front, the aperture next the observer. Furcated, forked. Furrow, a trench or hollow. Fuscated, darkened, obscured. Fusiform, spindle shaped,conical lamina or leave- or oval. G. Gaping, when the valves do not close. Geniculate, keeled. Genus, characters by which they are distinguished from others. Genera, plural of genus. Gibbous, bulged. Glabrous, having a smooth sur- face. Globose, globular, round. H. Hemispherical, in the shape of a half globe. Heterostrophe, _ shells spires reverse. Hispid, hairy. Hinge, the part where the valves are united. whose I & J. Jagged, denticulated, uneven. Imbricate, covered with scales. Imperforate, having no umbili- cus. 149 Inequilateral, when the anterior . and posterior parts of the shell are dissimilar. Inequivalve, when the valves are dissimilar. Inarticulate, indistinct. Incumbent, one lying over the other. Incurved, bent backward. Indented, unequally marked. Inflated, tumid, swollen. Inflected, bent inward. Inflexed, bent towards each other. Intercostal, placed between the ribs. Interrupted, divided, separated. Interstice, space between. Intortion, turning or twisting. Involute, without a spire. Involution, that part which in- volves another. Juncture, the joining of the whorl in univalves. K, Keel, the longitudinal promi- nence in the argonauta. Keeled, see carinated. L. Labra, the lips. Laciniate, cut in irregular seg- ments. Lacunose, surface covered with pits. Lamellar, films on plates. Lamellated, divided into distinct plaits or foliations. Lamine, thin plates, laid one above another. Lanceolate, oblong, tapering like the head of a lance. Lateral, extending to one side from the centre. Latticed, see decusantads Tat | # - 150 Lenticulate, doubly convex. Ligament, a solid body which connects the valves in bi- valves. Linear, composed of lines. Linguiformed, tongue shaped. Lip, the outer edge of the aper- ture of univalves. Lobated, rounded at the edges. Longitudinal, the length of the _ shell. Lunated, formed like a_ half moon. Lunule, crescent-like. Luniform, shape of a crescent. M. Margin, the whole circumfe- rence or outline of the shell in bivalves. Marginated, having a promi- nent margin or border. Membrane, a web of fibres. Mouth, see Aperture. Muscular impressions, marks made by the animal in ad- hering to the shell. Mottled, clouded, or spotted. Mucronate, ending in a sharp point. Multilocular, many chambered. Muricated, clothed with sharp spines. N. Nacred, pearly. Nemoral, belonging to a wood. Nited, glossy. Nodose, knotty. Nucleus, a kernel. O. Obsolete, obliterated. Oblong, oval. Ocellated, eyelike spots. Ochreous, color of yellow ochre. CONCHOLOGY. Offuscated, darkened, clouded. Olivaceous, of a greenish olive color. Operculum, which closes the aperture of the shell. Orbicular, circular, round. Orifice, an opening or perfora- tion. Ovate, shaped like an egg. Ovoid, oval. Ps Papillose, pimpled, dotted. Papyraceous, thin as paper. Patulous, with a gap or opening. Partitions, processes dividing the shells of the Nautilus, Serpula, &c. Pectinated, resembling the teeth of a comb. Pedicle, the support of the Ana- tifera and its corresponding species. Peduncle, a tube on which any thing is seated. Pellucid, transparent, ~ clear, bright. Pentagonal, having five sides. Perforated, pierced with holes. Pervious, admitting passage. Pillar, in univalves the internal continuation of the colu- mella or inner lips, extend- ing from the dase to the apex. Pinnated, winged. Plaited, folded. Plaits, folds. Plicated, folded or plaited. Posterior, see Margin. Produced, lengthened out. Protrude, to thrust forward. Punctuated, like the punctures of a thimble. Pyriform, pear shaped. GLOSSARY. Quadrangular, having four right angles. Quadriplicated, plaits. having four R, Radiated, furnished with rays. Radicated, fixed by the base to another bedy. Rectangular, having right an- gles. Recurvated, turned backward. Recurved, bowed back. Reflected, bent baekward. Refracted, abruptly bent. Reniform, kidney shaped. Replicated, folded or plaited. Reticulated, formed like a piece of net work. Retuse, ending in an obtuse sinus. Reversed spire, see heterostro- phe. Revolute, rolled backward. Ribbed, having longitudinal ribs. Ridge, the upper part of a slope. Rostrum, the beak. Rugose, wrinkled. Sanguinaceous, divided into chambers. Scabious, rough, rugged. Scalloped, indented at the edges. Scuttelated, shield shaped. Seam, line formed by the union of the valves. Semi, the half. Semi-cordate, half heart shaped. Semi-orbicular, shape of a half globe. Semi-lunar, shape of half moon. Septiform, shape of a partition. Serrated, like the teeth of a saw. Sessile, sitting or seated. 151 Seta, a bristle. Setaceous, covered with bristles. Setiferous, bearing bristles. Sinister valve, is the left valve. Sinus, a groove or cavity. Siphunculus, a cylindrical per- foration asin the Nautilus, Spirula, &c. Spatulate, rounded and broad at the top. Species, the division of a family or genus. Spiny, thorny. Spinous, like a hedgehog. Spire, all the whorls in univalves except the one in which the aperture is situated, which is termed the body. Spiral, twisted like a corkscrew. Squamose, scaly. Striated, covered with thread- like lines, Sub, almost. Subarcuated, somewhat arched. Subconic,