. Beautiful shells : their nature, structure, and uses familiarly explained; with directions for collecting, cleaning, and arranging them in the cabinet; descriptions of the most remarkable species, and of the creatures which inhabit them; and explanations of the meanings of their scientific names, and of the terms used in conchology. Shells; Mollusks. 40 COWETES. outline to this shell, of which there is a darker-coloured variety of somevv^hat stouter form, called exKstvs—burned or scorched. Of the Poached-egg Cowries there are several species, the most common is called by naturalists Ovulvm o
. Beautiful shells : their nature, structure, and uses familiarly explained; with directions for collecting, cleaning, and arranging them in the cabinet; descriptions of the most remarkable species, and of the creatures which inhabit them; and explanations of the meanings of their scientific names, and of the terms used in conchology. Shells; Mollusks. 40 COWETES. outline to this shell, of which there is a darker-coloured variety of somevv^hat stouter form, called exKstvs—burned or scorched. Of the Poached-egg Cowries there are several species, the most common is called by naturalists Ovulvm ovum, Tig. 4, from ovum—an ^%%'., the back of this shell is much elevated and rounded; it is smooth and white; the inside is orange brown. Some of the Poached-egg group are of a more slender and angular shape, as, for instance, that called the Gibbous, (0. Gihhosa;) the moon when more than half-full, is called gibbous, that is rounded unequally, as this shell. Few shells undergo greater changes, both of shape and colour, during the process of growth, than the Cowries, which are called in Prance Porcelaines, on account of their high polish and brilliant hues; a single species in different stages of development, might well be, and often is, taken for distinct shells. Much might be said about the Mollusks which inhabit them, but our present subject has rather to do with their outer covering than their internal structure. most rare and valuable, if not the most beautiful of these Cowries, is the C. aurora, or aurantium, jVlorning-dawn, or Orange Cowry, a j)erfect specimen of which ha?5 been sold for fifty guineas. There is a very curious shell called the Common AVeaver's Shuttle, {Ocidum^ volva,) generally included in the Cyprea family; of this a i^prescnta- tion will be found on Plate YJI, Pig. 5. This is brought from Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearanc
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdeca, booksubjectmollusks, booksubjectshells
