SPONDYLL'S.— Plate I. 



siiperiori prope umbonem liris parvis aciilia Irihus xqim- 

 miferis distantibtcs radiata, valvd infcrinri /ili'i-nunii"- 

 muUo foliata et concameratd ; alba, cin-a ih,ilioii.u,i 

 piirptireo-roseo et aurantio titidd, liris Iribiin pan-is 

 radlantibus mturatiorihus. 



Thf. vakiable Spondylds. Shell oblong-orbicular, con- 

 vexly depressed, somewhat irregular, copiously rayed 

 with very irregular short squaraate spines, upper valve 

 rayed near the umbo with three small sharp sealed 

 ridges, lower valve generally much foUated and cham- 

 bered ; white, stained around the umbo with pui-jjle- 

 rose and orange, the three small radiating ridges be- 

 ing darker in colour. 



^JowEiuiv. \ii(i' ii(li\ lo Catalogue of Polynesian Shells 

 coll' I . ^ ''• 'I I -lutchbury. 

 A'/j'j'M ' ■ v /) , • ■//■(. Chenu. 



Hab. Pacific Islands. 



This tine species is distinguished in all its stages ol' 

 growth by three widely separated fine squamate ridges 

 radiating from the umbo, of a darker red tiut than the sur- 

 rounding colour of the shell. It is of very irregular growth, 

 sometimes depositing a series of basal laminae in the lower 

 valve one over the other, and hermetically closing water in 

 the chambers, in which state, often of great size, it is 

 known to collectors by the name of the Water Spondylus. 



Species 4. (Mus. Cuming.) 

 Sl'ONDYLUS CILIATUS. Spoiid. Ustd suhorbiciilari, lenui, 

 convexo-diprtssd, liris eximiis radiald, liris spinis 



Iriiiiihiis .•iiibiiiPiiibraiiaceis longis erectis copiose acii- 

 /,'ii/i.s, /h-nrihi/ i//lrrs/i/iis sitbtilissime dense striatis ; 

 .\friiiiiiiieij-albd, purpiirascente sparsim pundatd. 



The ciliated Spondylus. Shell suborbicular, thin, 

 convexly depressed, rayed with fine ridges, ridges 

 copiously thorned with rather long, erect, thin, sub- 

 membranaceous spines, interstices between the ridges 

 very finely densely striated ; straw-tinged white, spa- 

 ringly dotted with light purple. 



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



Hab. Lord Hood's Island, Pacific Ocean (found on the 

 reefs attached to a piece of coral) ; Cuming. 

 Copiously ciliated throughout witii long erect spines, 



which are exceedingly tiiin and have a submembranaceous 



character. 



Species o. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Spondylus Gussoni. Spuiid. tesld ocali, subijibbusd, nm- 

 boues versus subatieuimld, radiotiin slriald, striis mi- 

 nute imbricatis ; alba. 



Gusson's Spondylus. Shell oval, rather gibbous, a 

 little attenuated towards the umboes, radiately stri- 

 ated, striae minutely imbricated ; white. 



Costa, Philippi, Enum. Moll. Sicil. vol. i. p. 87. 

 Spoitdi/l/is minimus, Chemn. 

 Spondylus albidus, Broderip. 



Ilab. ilediterraneaii. 



Of small gibbous size, with somewhat the aspect of 



a TercbraUda, attached mostly in groups. 



