Volume Iii Part 9 (2/2)

GENERIC CHARACTER.

_Testa turrita, laevis, nitida, umbilicata, basi truncata, emarginata.

Aperturae angulus superior interne ca.n.a.liculatus. Animal marinum._

Sh.e.l.l turrited, smooth, polished, umbilicated, base truncated, emarginate. Upper angle of the aperture with an internal channel.

Animal marine.

Generic Type _Buccinum Spiratum_ Lin.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_E. testa ventricosa, maculata; aperturae longitudine spirae longitudinem superante; spira anfractibus 5 convexis, suturis alveatis; basi balteo concavo cincta._

Sh.e.l.l ventricose, spotted; spire shorter than the aperture, of five convex volutions; suture channelled; base with a concave belt.

Eburna Valentiana. _Sw. Appendix to Bligh Cat._ _p._ 6. _lot_ 904.

Few species are known of _Eburnae_, and these are neither well defined, nor correctly figured.

The species selected by most authors as the type of this genus is _Buccinum glabratum_ of Linnaeus, a sh.e.l.l which, as it unites the characters of _Eburna_ and _Ancilia_, should not have been chosen for this purpose. Types of genera are alone intended to represent the usual appearance of those characters on which the genus has been founded; they should therefore be selected from such species only, as represent these characters in their perfect development.

_E. Valentiana_ was first characterized by myself, in the Appendix to the Bligh Collection. It was brought from the Red Sea by Lord Valentia, in honour of whom it is named. The very short spire and concave belt at the base, easily distinguish this sh.e.l.l from _E. spirata_.

Pl. 145

[Ill.u.s.tration]

EBURNA tessellata,

_Tessellated Eburna._

GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 144.

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