Genus Cyprc^a. 187 



(II.) Fossil FovjHS. — The Cowries first appear in the Cre- 

 taceous and Tertiary Periods : there are between ninety and 

 a hundred fossil forms, mostly smaller than many of their 

 recent congeners. Dr. F. Jousseaume published, some four 

 years ago, a proposed subdivision of the genus, taking into 

 consideration the extinct as well as the recent species ; — a 

 very laudable attempt, but we can hardly agree with him 

 in considering it necessary to propose no less than thirty- 

 six genera, most of them new, for their reception ! His 

 Zoila, for instance, formed for C. Scottii, Thersites, and 

 Diarginata, his Mmixiena^ for C. Mauritia7ia, and Tronay 

 for C. stercoraria and venusta, should surely be all included 

 as very nearly allied, in one section of the genus ; and the 

 same might be said for three more of his so-called genera 

 LuriUy Zonaria, and Adusta, since spadicea, physis, and 

 o?iyx, severally representatives of these three, are of 

 extremely near affinity. And other instances might be 

 adduced. I am very pleased, however, to find Dr. Jous- 

 seaume and myself agreeing in several particulars, and, as 

 I had not the opportunity of seeing his interesting article 

 until I had drawn up the annexed list of the approximate 

 relations of the species to each other, my conclusions have 

 been in every way independent. He isolates C. 2tinbilicata^ C^ 

 tessellata, and C. Childreni, allies C. stercoraria to C. vennsta, 

 but includes C. lynx and mappa with the tigris section 

 called by him Vtilgusella, which I am unable to do. C. miis 

 and leucostoma, which would appear survivals of an other- 

 wise extinct group, he places in the genus GisortiUy the type 

 being the large fossil Ovida gisortiana (Val.). The puny 

 little C. Adainsonii (Gray), again, is the only recent repre- 

 sentative of some attractive fossil forms, of which C. elegant, 

 and C. cancellata (Swainson) may be considered the types, 

 peculiar from the surface being covered with raised reti- 

 culated strict. 



