413 



1. Melo Indicus (pi. Ixxxi. f, 1, 2, '3, 4, 5.) Voluta mclo, 

 Solander, Voluta, Gmel. 



" M. testa valde ventricosa, ovato-globosa, flava vel rubro-auran- 

 tiaca, maculis strigisque castaneis sub-triseriatim tessellata ; spira, 

 occultata, columella quadriplicata, epidermide viridi-fusca, teiiui ; 

 long, 6-9. lat. 3^-8. poll. 



" Shell very ventricose, ovate, globose, yellow, yellowish red, or 

 ruddy-orange, tessellated with chesnut spots or stripes disposed for 

 the most part in transverse Knes which gird the body-whorl. The 

 spire is entirely covered in full grown shells, and in old individuals, 

 so is the apex, wliich in young shells is always bare and prominent." 



Indian Ocean. 



2. Melo tessellatus (pi. kxxi. f. 6, 7, 8.) Voluta tessel- 

 lata. Lam. 



" M. testa ventricosa, albido-sulphurea, zonis tribus vel duabus 

 castaneis tessellatis ; spinis decumbentibus, apicem versus conver- 

 gentibus ; epidermide viridi-fusca, tenui ; long. 6. lat. 4. poU. 



" Shell ventricose, of a straw or sulphurous colour, banded with 

 three and sometimes two zones of tessellated spots. The spines 

 which are broad at the base and decumbent, converge towards the 

 apex, the tip only of which in fine specimens rises above them. 

 Epidermis greenish brown and thin. The immaculate variety is 

 more frequently found in a fine and sound state. In the beauti- 

 ful figiu"e by Swainson a few spots mark the transition from the 

 youth to the colourless state. I have both the varieties in almost 

 every stage of transition, but even in those which are entirely 

 spotless, an examination of the first volution of the spire at the 

 base of the apex or nucleus wdU shew, that, in its youth, the shell 

 was tessellated with spots, though, as it advanced in growth, it 

 ceased to secrete them ". 



3. Melo ^thiopica (pi. Ixxxi. f. 9. pi. Ixxxii. f. 13, 14, 19.) 

 Voluta ^thiopica, Linn. 



"M. testa obovata, ventricosa, cinnamomeo-lutescente, spinis 

 brevibus, suberectis, columella, 3-4-pHcata; epidermide tenui, 

 virescente; long. 6-12. lat. 4-8. poll. 



" Labro superne sub-angulato, in senioribus apicem spirse trans- 

 eunte. 



" Shell obovate, ventricose, of a yellowish cinnamon colour, the 

 spines short, frequent, suberect; pillar with from three to four 

 plaits; epidermis thin, of a greenish brown". 



