PLATE i. Frontispiece. Variation in color and in color pattern in Neritina virginea, variety 

 minor. Magnified two diameteis. 



Color pattern : 



i, marked with a few heavy lines. From i to 6 these major lines become broken up into 

 small V-shaped loops. In the shells, a, accessory minor lines are added. In the shells, b, these 

 are more numerous. 



Series 9 to 14 shows diversity in the pattern near the apex of the coil : 9 has a few very slightly 

 larger white dots near the coil ; 10 has larger dots here ; n has them very large ; in 12 they have 

 united to form a continuous white band ; in 13 and 14 this band is wider. 



Series 15 to 24 shows diversity in the character of the equatorial light band. In 15 and 16 

 only the minor lines are interrupted or faint along the equator of the shell. In 17 the major lines 

 also are interrupted. In 18 the band is almost clear white. 19 and 20 show narrower bands. In 

 21, 23, and 24 the equatorial band is shown by a difference of color in or under the pattern. In 22 

 the equatorial line is faintly indicated in the pattern itself, being bordered above and below by 

 large, heavy, black loops. 



Color shade : 



The colored lines are black in I, 3, z,, $l>, 6, 6 a, 19, 20, and 22; purplish in 6^ and n; red in 

 7 a ; gray in 23 ; black and red in 2 ; the major lines are black and the minor lines red in i a, 3, 

 3^, and 50; the major lines are black and the minor lines purple in 16 and 17. 



These are a few shells selected from a large double-handful scooped up from the sand beach 

 of the "Salt Pond," near Port Henderson, Jamaica, W.I. The shells were so numerous as to 

 completely cover the beach for rods at the water's edge. Sixty-eight quite distinct varieties in 

 color or color pattern were found in this one pint of shells. It is possible to find a completely 

 intergrading series between any two of these shells, however divergent. 



