944 NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 



Family. JanthinibvE. 

 Janthina communis. Lamarck, Anim. sans Vert 2nd edition. 

 Vol. IX., p. 4 ; Reeve, Conch. Icon., fig. 5. 

 Habitat. — North Island of New Zealand. 

 Found also in Australia. 

 Janthina iiucolor. Reeve, Conch. Icon., fig. 23. 



Habitat. — North Island of New Zealand. 

 Janthina exigua. Lamarck, Anim. sans Vert., 2nd edition. 

 Vol. IX , p. 5 ; Reeve, Conch. Icon., fig. 21. 

 Habitat. — Throughout New Zealand and at the Chatham Island. 

 Found also in Australia. 



Notes and Exhibits. 

 Dr. Cox read the following letter from Mr. Benjamin Hinde, 

 R.N., of H.M.S., Diamond, on the poisonous effects of the bite 

 inflicted by the Conus Geographicus, Linn, on the natives of New 

 Britain : — 



" H.M.S. Diamond, 

 " At Sea, Lat. 10° 1J/ S., Long. 155° 34' E. 

 " The following facts which I have learned partly by hearsay, and 

 partly by personal observation, concerning the shell, known as 

 Conus Geographies, of Linnreus, may be of intei'est. 



" What first drew my observation to this curious power of C. 

 Geographies was, a native of Nodup, New Britain, an interpreter 

 on board H.M.S. Diamond, seeing me with a specimen of C. 

 Geographies in my hand, remarked, " suppose he bite he kill man." 

 Thinking this to be an exaggeration on the part of the native, but 

 at the same time thinking that he must have some reason for so 

 saying, I encpured of him more particularly as to how the shell 

 would harm any one, as at the time I fancied that he meant if the 

 edge of the shell cut a person by accident it would cause blood 

 poisoning, however, he described how that the fish would bite and 

 that the bite was poisonous, and that it always killed people if they 

 did not cut themselves to let the blood run, all round the place 

 bitten, he also promiseed to procure me a live specimen and shew 

 me how it bit. 



