CASSIS. 



Species 18. (Mus. Hamilton.) 

 Cassis abbreviata. Cass, testa subgloboso-ovatd,crassd, 

 spira brevimcula, acmiwiatd, apice subpapillari ; an- 

 fraetibus, ultimo interdum univaricoso, subrotundis, 

 striis lonffitudinalibus elevatis, s/dcis striisve iucisis 

 transversis decMsatis, liris apicem versus conspiciii 

 granosis; columelld fortiter grauosd, labro valde in- 

 crassato,prope basin leviter eficso, intus dentato-lirato ; 

 eburued, macidis parvis aurantio-fusm quadratis vel 

 inaqimlibus dlstantibus film minus obscure pictd, inter- 

 dum immaculatd, labri margine retrorso fusco radiato 

 The abbreviated Helmet. Shell somewhat globosely 

 ovate, thick, spire rather short, acuminated, apex 

 rather papillary ; whorls, the last being sometimes 

 one-varicose, somewhat rounded, decussated with 

 longitudinal raised striae and transverse engi-aved 

 strife or grooves, ridges conspicuously granose towards 

 the apex ; columella strongly granose, lip excessively 

 thickened, slightly effused towards the base, dentately 

 ridged within ; ivoiy white, more or less obscurely 

 painted with small orange-brown spots which ai'e 

 square or unequal and distant, sometimes unspotted, 

 reflected edge of the lip rayed with brown. 

 Lamarck, Anim. sans vert. (Deshayes' edit) vol. x. p. 30. 



Eadem. Cassis lacfen, Kieucr. 

 Hab. Acapidco. 



When Lamarck introduced this species, it escaped his 

 notice, as subsequently that of his commentators, that he 

 had already referred to a characteristic figure of it in 

 jVIartini (Conch. Cab. vol. ii. pi. 34. f. 351, 2) among the 

 synonymy of his C. granulosa {C.itiflata). It presents 

 itself under so many ditt'ereut aspects, that it is somewhat 

 difficult to recognise the species in all its varieties without 

 a comparison of numerous specimens. M. Kiener's C. 

 Uictea is undoubtedly a variety of it, and the same may be 

 said, with less certainty in the absence of figui-es, of the 

 C. centiquadrata and doliata described in 1811 by Valen- 

 ciennes in the Zoology of the Voyage of Humboldt and 

 Bonpland. 



Species 19. (Mus. Metcalfe.) 



Cassis paucirugis. ^"w 

 apice acuta; aufniri 

 longitudiualiter irrcgu 



-stnali^ 



apicem versus decussatis, superue angulato-declivibus, 

 ad anyiihuii ubsuleti- nodosis ; columelld vix plicatd, 

 labro iu/iii- di'i/fritii-lirnto; eburued, politd, maculis 

 quadratis fulrcsceiitibus distantibtts exilissimi tinctd, 

 maculis saturatioribus pone labrum ; aperturae fauce 

 fulvescente-croced. 



The few-wrinkled Helmet. Shell ovate, spire some- 

 what acuminated, sharp at the apex ; whorls desti- 

 tute of varices, smooth, shining, longitudinally irre- 

 gularly very finely marked with engraved striae, 

 decussated towards the apes, angidarly slanting 

 round the upper part, obsoletely nodose at the 

 angle ; columella scarcely plicated, lip dentately ridged 

 within ; ivory white, polished, very faintly stained 

 with distant square fulvous spots, which are darker 

 behind the lip ; interior of the aperture fulvous saffron 

 colom-. 



Menke, Moll. Nov. Hollandise, p. 23. no. 107. 



Hab. West coast of New Holland ; Menke. 



The Cassis paucirugis was described about five years 

 ago by Dr. Menke of Pyrniont, Germany, in his Synopsis 

 of Shells from New Holland, and kindly made known to 

 me by the transmission of his original specimen. From 

 its very discolom-ed and bleached appearance the species 

 was regarded with some doubt, but a comparison of further 

 specimens from the collections of Mr. Cuming, Mr. Met- 

 calfe, and Mr. Hauley enables me to add satisfactorily to 

 the characters afready adduced by Dr. Menke. In the 

 specimen here represented there is a perceptible indication 

 of square fulvous spots beneath its ivory enamelled surface, 

 the columeUar lip remaining of as clear a porcelain white 

 as that of the Oouhmi ovum, and the interior is distin- 

 g-uished by a warm, fulvous saffron hue. 



The C. paucirugis has not hitherto been illustrated, and 

 is but little known. It is impossible to identify a species 

 with any degree of certainty without the aid of a figure, 

 and this, like many more whose existence has only been 

 recorded by the simple technicalities of a diagnose, has 

 been waiting in obscurity to be pubbshed under a more 

 intelligible aspect. 



Siiccics 20. (Mus. Brit.) 



Cassis rufa. Cass, testa ovatd, Cgpraaformi, a 

 simd, ponderosd, -ipird brevissimd, anjractibus 



cptember, IS-IS 



