428 



Remarkable for the smooth, depressed, palmated, spoon-shaped 

 scales, on the five or seven principal ribs, which are repeated in 

 miniature in the interstices. 



From China. 



27. Spondylus AURAJfTius (pi. Ixxxiv. f. 1, 2. pi. Ixxxix. 

 f. 65.), La7n. Anim. s. vert. vol. vi. p. 192. an Test. jun. S. 

 radians. Lam. S. Nicobaricus, nonnul"? 



S. testa ovali, tenui ; spinis extantibus subdistantibus subarcu- 

 atis angustis per series 15 ad 18 dispositis; interstitiis Isevibus; 

 colore spinarum aurantio, inter spinas flavido-rubescente, ad um- 

 bonem albo, nigro vel rubro variegato, cardine fusco fasciato. 

 Variat valva superiori albo, nigro radiatim variegato. Variat quo- 

 que fusco, subtiis croceo. 



The spines of this species are slender, rather distant from each 

 other, a little curved and sharp pointed. They are arranged in 

 from ten to twenty rows. The interstices are smooth. The colour 

 is, as the name implies, orange, which is ribbed with red between 

 the spines, while the apex, which is white, with short spines and 

 presenting those dark spots which form the characteristic of S. 

 Nicobaricus. A variety coloui'ed uniformly with dark orange- 

 brown, and another with the upper valve white, are of frequent 

 occurrence. Mr. Cuming has the white variety from the Philip- 

 pines. The greater part of the specimens are from the SecheUe 

 Islands. 



28. Spondylus Nicobaricus (pi. kxxviii. f. 48.), Chemn. 

 vol. vii. t. 45. f. 469, 470. S. regius. Lam. Anim. s. vert. vol. vi. 

 p. 192. 



S. testa ovali, tenui ; costis vix elevatis numerosis, spinis bre- 

 vibus, tenuis, subtus concavis ornatis; interstitiis striatis; per 

 series macularum nigrarum vel rubrum radiatim disposito ; variat 

 purpureo, prope umbones rubro radiatim maculato. 



The spines above the slightly elevated ; the numerous ribs are 

 short, and in fine specimens, sharply pointed. The interstices are 

 striated. The colour is arranged in radiating rows of dark angular 

 spots, upon a white ground. 



The specimen figured is from Bureas, and we have other speci- 

 mens from the Mauritius. Although the character of this shell 

 presents a suspicious resemblance to that of the umbo of S. auran- 

 tius and S. zonali^, yet we do not observe, in its approach towards 

 maturity any disposition in the spines to assume the form by 



