152 AXEL A. OLSSON 



indication of locality, is probably the name which should be used for the 

 northern or Gulf of California subspecies. 



Spondylns princeps princeps Broderip Plate 22, figures 4, 8 ; 



Plate 86, figures 1. la 

 Spondylus princep Broderip, 1833; Spondylus pictorum Sowerby, 1847. 



The typical subspecies. 



Shell usually regular in shape, the valves seldom showing much dis- 

 tortion, the attachment area usually small. Valves not strongly convex. 

 Sculpture of crowded, or close-set, short or medium-length, spikelike spines. 

 Primary and secondary spines set in six rows, the tertiary in pairs of two 

 in the space between the primary and central secondary (four in the larger 

 interspaces between the primaries). Inner marginal band wide and deeply 

 colored. External color orange or coral red, the spines colored the same. 



Length 130 mm.; height 135 mm.; diameter of both valves 79 mm. 



The type of this subspecies, now at the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) 

 was collected by Cuming at Isla la Plata off the coast of Ecuador. The 

 attachment scar on the lower valve is relatively small and is bordered on 

 one side by a few, small, cross foliations. Its color is a uniform coral red. 



This is the common Spondylus along the coast of Ecuador and is often 

 found in Indian graves in northern Peru far south of its known, present-day 

 range. It is possible that it was used by the aborigines for the carding of 

 wool. The subspecies is readily distinguished by its crowded, spikelike spines, 

 showing no open spaces between them. 



Range — Panama southward to northwestern Peru. Ecuador: Manta; 

 Isla la Plata; Santa Elena. Peru: Zorritos; Caleto Sal; Indian graves in 

 the Chira Valley; Chiclayo. 



Spondylus princeps leucacanthus Broderip Plate 22, figure 5; 



Plate 86, figure 4 

 Spondylus leucacantha Broderip, 1833 



Shell regular or moderately distorted in shape, the sculpture more open 

 or less crowded together, the primary spines longer, fluted or foliated at the 

 ends, white, yellow and lighter in color than the main body of the shell. 

 Inner margin of valves deeply colored. 



Range — Along the coast of Ecuador. Ecuador: Isla la Plata. 



Spondylus princeps nnicolor Sowerby Plate 22, figure 6 



Spondylus unicolor Sowerby, 1847. 



Shell regular in shape, with rounded, symmetrical, pectiniform, sub- 

 equal valves, strongly convex. Attachment usually by a small area of the 

 beak only, the attachment scar hence small, and the shell possibly becoming 

 free in some cases. External sculpture similar on both valves and usually 

 consists of six rows of large, primary spines, widely separated, each primary 

 interspace with a central line of secondary spines bordered on each side 

 by a much smaller line of tertiary spines; in between the spines, the space 

 is still wide, and shows generally fine, scabrous, linen-like markings. Color 

 ranging from white through orange to coral-red. Interior porcellaneous- 

 white with a deeply colored marginal band. 



