CASSIDIDAE 193 



1% to 3 inches in length, with about 20 spiral grooves on the body 

 whorl. Weak axial ribs sometimes present which make the shell coarsely 

 beaded. Lower parietal area pustulose. Outer lip may be greatly thickened 

 occasionally. Not uncommonly washed ashore. It is also present on the 

 west coast of Central America as the subspecies centiqiiadrata Valenciennes. 

 Formerly known as Semicassis abbreviata Lamarck and S. inflatum Shaw. 



Phalium cicatricosiim Gmelin Smooth Scotch Bonnet 



Plate 9f 



Southeast Florida, Bermuda and the Caribbean. 



Shell i'V2 to 2 inches in length, similar to P. granulatum but without 

 the spiral grooves; sometimes smaller specimens have nodules on the shoulder 

 of the whorl. Rare in Florida. Meuschen named this shell first, but his 

 works are now ruled out as invalid. The nodulated, smaller variety was 

 named peristephes Pilsbry and McGinty. 



Genus Cassis Scopoli 1777 



The helmet shells are large, handsome mollusks which have been used 

 by man for centuries. Large numbers of cameos are still cut from them, 

 the meat is often used in chowders, and the uncut shells serve as attractive 

 doorstops or mantel-pieces. In the Pacific, they are sliced in half and the 

 body whorl used either as a cooking container or boat-bailer. The half dozen 

 known species are found only in the West Indies and Indo-Pacific area. They 

 live in moderately deep water and although sometimes are obtained in knee- 

 deep waters, they usually must be dived for in 10 to 20 feet of water. The 

 helmet shells are carnivorous and include the spiny sea urchins in their diet. 

 Operculum semicircular, corneous and concentric. 



Cassis tuberosa Linne King Helmet 



Southeast Florida and the West Indies. 



Adults 4 to 9 inches in length, massive, with a finely reticulated sculp- 

 ture. Color brownish cream with black-brown patches on the lip and a 

 large patch of brown at the center of the parietal shield. This species may 

 be easily confused with the Flame Helmet (Cassis fiaminea Linne) which 

 occurs in the Bahamas and Antilles. The latter lacks the reticulated sculpture, 

 lacks brown color between the teeth on the outer lip, has a rounded (not 

 triangular) parietal shield and is from 3 to 5 inches in length. Rare in Florida 

 (10 fathoms), common to the south in shallow water. 



Cassis 7nadagascariensis Lamarck Emperor Helmet 



Plate 23V 



Southeast Florida, the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles. 



