308 Bulletin Vanderbilt Marine Museum, Vol. VII 



The present clutch of eggs was attached to a coral basally and has 

 the shape of truncate cone, about 16 inches long, 10 inches basal 

 diameter and 6.5 inches diameter distally. The individual cap- 

 sules, which are conical, have the apex rounded, free, directed in- 

 wards, the bases external, connected with one another but in- 

 completely, so that the slit-like apertures occur irregularly be- 

 tween them. The alcohol-preserved capsules are undoubtedly 

 shrunken and are tough, cartilaginous ; when dried, they become 

 like dried mucilage, ranging from one and three-eighths to seven- 

 eighths inches long. The capsules are arranged longitudinally 

 and a little obliquely in the mass, in regular rows, so that the 

 outer end of each capsule is exposed. When sectioned transverse- 

 ly, the capsule walls appear to be formed by agglutination of ad- 

 jacent side walls, somewhat after the manner of cells in a honey- 

 bee comb. Each capsule has a ridged thickening on the lower 

 side, which terminates outwardly as an acute, thorn-like process. 



There is never but one embryo per capsule ; about one hun- 

 dred and twenty to one hundred and thirty are present in this 

 mass. All the embryos have the apices turned outward and their 

 anterior canals toward the center. A typical large specimen from 

 the basal portion of the mass has the shell measuring 36 milli- 

 meters altitude and 16.1 millimeters median diameter, with the 

 aperture 25 millimeters long and 9 millimeters greatest width. 



The shell has four and one-half whorls and has not yet de- 

 veloped the ornamental spines or teeth that coronate the adult 

 shell, except for two or three small nodules on the outermost 

 whorl. The columella bears three plaits, well developed, the 

 outer one being the largest. The distal end of the shell has the 

 characteristic notch. The aperture is wide, the outer lip thin, 

 fragile. Though unfortunately preserved in alcohol with the 

 usual injury to color resultant, the shells retain the distinctive 

 creamy to tawny yellow on the first three and a half to four whorls, 

 the outer half- whorl being maculated with a conspicuous pattern 

 in chestnut brown similar to that shown in Sowerby's figure of 

 Melo diadema and of Melo mucronatus Sowerby. The type of the 

 latter is from Moreton Bay, New Holland. 



The slug is black, large, when expanded enveloping a part of 

 the shell. When alive the slug weighs from two to three pounds. 



The adult shell may attain a length of 18 inches and a width 

 of 12 inches and is well known as one of the most valuable mol- 



