FAMILY XV.
Scalarina. Three genera.
1. Genus Scalaria. Pl. [XI].
Animal. Spiral; foot short, oval, and inserted beneath the neck; two tentacula terminated by a filament, and having the eyes at the extremity of the dilated portion; a proboscis.
Shell. Marine, aperture circular, spire more or less pressed and furnished with longitudinal ribs, formed by the preservation of the reflected margin of the aperture; edges united, thickened, and outwardly reflected; operculum horny and thin. Inhabits the American and Indian seas. Fourteen living species, and three fossil.
- Scalaria coronata.
- S. communis.
- S. Australis.
- S. tenebralis.
- S. varicosa.
- S. raricosta.
- S. lamellosa.
- S. pretiosa.
- · · · · ·
- S. Martinii.*
- S. Novanglia.*
- S. lineata.*
- S. subulata.*
- S. multistriata.*
- S. turbinata.*
2. Genus Vermetus. Pl. [XI].
Animal. As preceding genus.
Shell. Very similar to the Serpula, but the organization of the animal makes it a distinct genus; often found clustered together, and attached to marine substances; conical, thin, tubular, loosely spiral, aperture straight, circular, edges sharp and complete, several partitions not perforated towards the summit, operculum horny and complete. Inhabits the sandy shores of the W. Indies and Africa. Two species.
- Vermetus lumbricalis.
- V. maximus.