SPONDYLUS. 



Species 6. (Mus. Cuming.) 



SroNDYLus LEUCACANTHA. 5/jojirf. tcsld orhkulari, vel 

 sitbtrigono-ovatd, crassiusculd, venirieosd, cosiis sex 

 priHcipalibiiS radiatd, costis spinis squamatis elongaUs 

 mbarcuatis inegularibus armatis, iuterstitiis minute 

 imbricato-striatls, liris Iribus aculeato-squaniatis ; cro- 

 ceo-rubrd vel vivide minio-rubrd, spinis albis. 



The white-spined Spondylus. Shell orbicular or 

 somewhat triangularly ovate, rather thick, ventricose, 

 rayed with six principal ribs, ribs armed with ii'regu- 

 lar slightly arched elongated squaraate spines, inter- 

 stices minutely imbricately striated, with three thorny 

 squamate ridges ; yellowish-red or bright scarlet-red, 

 spines white. 



BuoDERiP, Pro. Zool. Soc. 1833, p. .5. 



Hah. Island of La Plata, West Columbia. 



A very rare and beautiful species at once distinguished 



by its pure white areuately squamate spines springing out 



of a deep ochre or vermilion-red ground. 



the umbo. The shell is extremely irregular in growth, and 

 the spines mostly terminate in a characteristic palmate 

 contortion. 



Species 7. (^Mus. Cuming.) 



Spondylcs Sinensis. Spond. lesid sHblnyoHO-orbiciduri, 

 depressinscidd, valde irreyulari, radiatim tiiuUistriatd 

 et interdum cosfatd, profuse sqmmatd, sqmmis versus 

 margineni magis numerosis et planipalmatis, et plus 

 minus lateraliter contorlis ; spadiceo-carned, circa um- 

 bonem pallide sanguineo nebulatd, interdum alba, pur- 

 purea sparsim variegatd. 



The Chinese Spondylus. Shell somewhat triangularly 

 orbieidar, rather depressed, very irregular, radiately 

 many-striated and sometimes ribbed, profusely scaled, 

 scales more numerous towards the margin and flatly 

 palmated, and more or less twisted on one side; 

 fawn-flesh, clouded with pale blood-colour about the 

 umboes, sometimes white, sparsely variegated with 

 purple. 



Sowerby, Thesaurus Couch, vol. i. p. 437. pi. 87. f. 32-34.. 



Hab. China. 



Distinguished by a peculiar fawn-flesh colour, with no 



marking except a little iuiut clouding of blood-smear about 



Species 8. (Mus. Cuming.) 

 Spondylus yariegatus. Spond. testd suborbiculari, Pec- 

 tiiiiformi, gibbosd, snbaquivalvi, radiatim cosfatd et 

 striata, costis spinis longiusculis recitrvis armatis; 

 albd, lineis atigulato-flexuosis purpureo-fuscis pictd. 

 The variegated Spondylus. Shell somewhat orbicular, 

 Pecten-shapcd, gibbous, nearly equivalve, radiately 

 ribbed and striated, ribs armed with rather long re- 

 curved spines ; white, painted with angulariy flexuous 

 purple-brown lines. 

 Chemnitz, Conch. Cab. vol. vii. pi. 45. f. 464. 



Eadem, Spondylus muricalus, Chemnitz. 

 Ilab. Amboyna. 



A very characteristic feature in this species are the an- 

 gularly flexuous purple-brown lines with which it is more 

 or less profusely painted upon a white ground. The valves 

 are nearly alike, and the spines mostly curved backwards. 



Species 9. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Spondylus princeps. Spond. testd subrotundatd, crassd, 

 interdum ponderosd, radiatim costatd et liratd, costis 

 lirisque copiose squamato-spinosd, spinis valde irregu- 

 lar ibus, nunc postice nunc ant ice distortis ; intense 

 corallo-rnbrd. 



The prince Spondylus. Shell somewhat rounded, 

 thick, sometimes ponderous, radiately ribbed ami 

 ridged, ribs and ridges copiously squamately spined, 

 spines very ii-rcgular, distorted sometimes in a poste- 

 rior direction, sometimes anterioriy ; deep coral-red. 



Bboderip, Pro. Zool. Soc. 1833, p. 4. 



Hab. Island of Plata, West Columbia (found attached to 

 coral rocks at the depth of seventeen fathoms) ; Cu- 

 ming. 

 Chiefly distinguished from S. pictorum, to which it is 



neariy allied by the irregular laterally inclined contortions 



of the spines, and deep coral-red colour. 



January, 1856. 



