47S Ci/prcta reticulata and Cjtp'eea hlstrio distinct. 



find a shell figured under the name of Cyprata reticulata, differing 

 in many respects from that afterwards known as C. /tistrio. Upper 

 ami lower views of llie shell are given, and the black spot which 

 characterizes this species is evident, though not conspicuous. 

 Martyn cpiotes none of the earlier figures, hut he must have been 

 acquainted at least with that of Lister; from which I think we may 

 just'y infer, that he considered his own reticulata to he distinct 

 from Lister's shell. The habitat which Martyn assigns to li is shell 

 — Friendly Islands — is worthy of note. 



In 17S7. Meuschen, in the Museum Geversianum, mentions for 



■ first lime Cyprata hisirio, by that name. I have not had an 

 opportunity to consult that work, and cannot therefore decide 

 whether his shell be identical with the one since known under that 

 nune, nor whether authors are correct in assigning it precedence 

 over the C. arlcqnina of Chemnitz, published ill the following year. 

 For the present, I must assume that their judgment is correct. 



In 178S appealed the 10th volume of Chemnitz's continuation 

 of Martini's Conchylien-Cabinet, where we find, under the name 

 of ('. arlequina, two very good figures of what I regard as the true 

 C hittrio. In his descriptive text, Chemnitz quotes the figures of 

 Lister, Knorr, and Martyn for his ('. arlequina. This latter refer- 

 ence seems to h ive been the first source of the inaccuracy which 

 has since prevailed; and yel Borne remarks at the close of his 

 cription show that the peculiar characteristics of Martyn's shell 

 had ii • i iped his practised eye, but that he consult red it a 

 remarkable variety ol his own ('. arlequina. 



Such were the materials which existed at the time when Gmelin 



< , mini tired, iii 17^ s , the publication of his edition of the Systema 



' ira of Linnaeus, of which edition it may !>e doubted, whether 



it lias not been of more hindrance than benefit to the cause of 



science, bo numerous are its blunders, and bo unpardonable the 



Car of its Compiler. I shall quote all he says in relation to 



the ip< ' efore us. On page 3403, we find — 



" Cyprea hittrio. C lestd ovat6 l iiibturbinat& l iublivido ocellal l,aubtus 



plan! iillii.ad Intern mcrassula, ulra fusco lliuoulaln, linen donali 

 lividA, fuuee woluceii. 



