46 THE NAUTILUS. 



Var. reevei Jonas. 



This is not a form of F. princeps as suggested by Try on. Al- 

 though the type is comparatively small (135 mm. in length) 

 the form is easily recognized and not uncommon on the Gulf 

 coast of Florida. It was found by the writer at Marco. The 

 prominent nodes become obsolete or wanting, especially on the 

 body whorl ; the shell is also thinner and does not reach the size 

 of the typical form. While F. gigantea and F. princeps (from the 

 west coast of Central America resemble each other superficially, 

 there is a most remarkable difference in their opercula. The 

 former has only the prominent concentric lines of growth on the 

 exterior, while the latter has five deep longitudinal furrows on 

 the middle and inner edge and irregular diagonal ribs on the 

 outer edge. 



The large bunches of egg-capsules of F. gigantea are conspicu- 

 ous objects on the Florida beaches. These are poorly figured 

 by Tryon (Manual, Vol. 2, pi. 7, figs. 78 and 79) as " Capsules 

 of an unknown Muricoid mollusk. " A bunch of capsules 

 from Key West, Fla., nine inches in length and containing 

 approximately 400 capsules *vas attached to a broad band 

 which has no doubt contracted considerably in drying. 

 Three of the capsules contained respectively 66, 70 and 76 

 embryonic shells. If these should average 70 per capsule, the 

 entire bunch would produce upwards of 30,000 shells, but the 

 death rate is enormous and very few ever reach maturity. Each 

 capsule is wedge-shaped, the angles slightly winged and the 

 sides with five or six irregular ridges. It is about 40 mm. in 

 length, attached to the band by a pedicel about 12 mm. long. 



The capsules of F. tulipa are in small clusters attached to 

 shells and stones. It is also wedge-shaped and pedunculate, 

 the sides are smooth, but the upper edge is ornamented by 

 numerous undulations around its entire margin. In F. distans 

 there is only a single indentation on the upper edge, forming a 

 lobe that extends over the opening through which the young 

 shells escape. The latter is figured by Tryon (Manual II, pi. 7, 

 fig. 77) as F. tulipa f 



Fasciolaria tulipa (Linn6). 



Coins achatinus Bolten, Mus. Bolt., 117, 1798. A variable 



