BY C. E. BEDDOME. 567 



Sowerby, therefore, is entitled to be considered the author of 

 the species in question, for although he was not the first to suggest 

 the name umbilicata, he was the first to publish a description; 

 possibly as a matter of courtesy he adopted Solander's MS. name. 



There are other early references to this species of interest. In 

 the Zoological Journal for 1829 (Vol. iv. p. 66) will be found a 

 paper by J. E. Gray, entitled — " Additions and Corrections to a 

 Monograph of Cyprsea." Omitting the description in Latin, the 

 following is what Gray has to say of 



"31. Cyjyrcea innbilicata, Sowerby, App. Tank. Cat. xxx. No. 

 2260; not Solander. Icon. Sowerb}^, t. 7, Wood's Cat. App. t. 3, 

 fig. 13." 



" Inhabits 1 Mus. Brit." 



" Shell oblique-ovate, anterior extremity attenuated and elon- 

 gated, hinder rather beaked, spire deeply concave; centre of the 

 body whorls ventricose, pale brownish, brown spotted ; base 

 rounded, whitish ; margin rounded, whitish-brown, spotted. 

 Mouth rather wider in front; teeth rather large, nearly equal, 

 those of the inner lip short; front of the columella flat without 

 any distinct concavity. Axis 3^, diameter 2^ of an inch." 



" Obs. — The only specimen known of this shell is now in the 

 British Museum. It has many characters which would lead to a 

 belief that it is a monstrous variety of Cyp. tigris, and indeed 

 more specimens are wanted to firmly establish its right to be 

 considered a species." 



" The form of the columella has induced me to place this species 

 in the present section. This may have been altered by the same 

 cause which produced the sunk form of the spire." 



The next notice of this species is to be found in Vol. iv. of the 

 same Journal, p. 217, 1829, in a letter dated 25th July, 1828, 

 addressed to W. J. Broderip, Esq., entitled — " Notes on Mr. 

 Gray's Additions and Corrections to a Monograph on Cypraea 

 (Z. J. iv. p. 66)." 



Mr. Sowerby says (p. 221): — "No. 31. Cyprcea uvihilicata 

 requires only a few words. The specimen which Mr. Gray has 

 described is not the only one known, and Mr. Gray has seen the 



