Page:American Seashells (1954).djvu/167

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TROCHIDAE
117

Indies, Although fairly good specimens are found without their soft parts in southern Florida and Bermuda, this species has been extinct in those areas for several hundred years. Living individuals may be found abundantly in the West Indies where they are used in chowders by some people. Cittarium Philippi 1847 is this genus.

Livona pica Linné
West Indian Top-shell
Figure 34

Southeast Florida (dead) and the West Indies (alive).

2 to 4 inches in length, heavy, rather rough, and with splotches of purplish black on dirty-white. Umbilicus round, narrof and very deep. Inner edge of lip with rich cobalt-blue mottlings. Operculum horny, large, round, multispiral and opalescent blue-green in life.

Figure 34. West Indian Top-shell, Livona pica Linné. a, shell with animal extended (3 inches); b, outline of head ×2. (From Clench and Abbott 1943 in Johnsonia.)


GenusNorrisiaBayle 1880

Norrisia norrisi Sowerby
Norris Shell
Plate 18m

Monterey, California, to Lower California.

1+12 inches in length, slightly wider, heavy, smoothish with a glossy finish, especially on the underside. Lip sharp. Aperture thickened within and pearly. Umbilicus ovate, very deep, colored a greenish blue on the columellar side, bordered on the other side by glossy black-brown which fades into rich chestnut over the remainder of the shell. Operculum, multi-spiral, externally ornamented with spiral rows of dense bristles. Animal tinged with red. Moderately common among the kelp weed beds.