(From from its gaping).

A shell. Some confine this word to the shell, while others intend by it the animal with its shell.

Sea shell fish, when boiled, are wholesome food, though supposed to be alkalescent; their shells are absorbent; it"calcined, they become a quick lime, possessing all the properties of pure calcareous earth.

Concha anatifera, (from anas, a duck). Shell-fish, ridiculously supposed to produce a species of duck.

Concha auriculae. Sec Auricula.

Concha cytheriaca, Concha erythrae'a. See Concha Veneris.

Concha Margaritifera. This word belongs to every shell fish in which pearls are found; but because the best pearls are found in the East Indies, it is confined for the most part to the concha Indica magna, whose shells are moderately hollow, thick, and externally of a yellowish colour, rough, uneven, and not striated; internally they are smooth, and shine like pearls. It is a species of oyster, principally found in the Persian sea, and is eaten raw or roasted. The shell of this fish is the mater perlarum. It is also called cochlea marga-ritifcra. See Mater perlarum.

Concha striata. The cockle. This is a shell fish employed as a nutriment, but being of a firmer substance than the oyster, is not so easily digested: in other respects it possesses nearly the same properties. See Ostrea and Aliment.

Concha veneris, or erythrae'a. Venus's shell, is an univalve wreathed shell, having a small longitudinal and denticulated chink or aperture in it. It is also called concha porce/lana, from its aperture resembling the mouth of a hog; and concha cytheriaca, from Venus, or its being found in the island Cythera.

As a medicine, for this shell the cockle or any other shell may be substituted; but it is now never demanded.

Concha. A liquid measure among the Athenians, which contained half an ounce; from three to five spoonfuls; in fact, nearly six drachms. Galen says, that the concha magna was the same as the acetabulum, which of liquid contained an ounce and a half, and in weight fifteen drachms; and that the concha minor was half an ounce of liquid, and five drachms of weight. It is a term applied also to some of the smaller and shallow cavities of the body.