CYPE^A.— Plate VI. 



faint flesh-colour. The curious ramifications of the dorsal 

 line indicate corresponding jagged edges to the lobes of 

 the mantle. 



Species 19. (Mus. Saul.) 



CypRiEA CARNEOLA. Cypr. testa, ohlongo-ovatd, crassd, ex- 

 tremitatibus suhobtusis, dorso carneolo, fasciis quateniis 

 quinisve satiiratioribns ornato, bau laterihisqiie pallide 

 fulvis, lateribiis plus miintsce arenaceis, dentibus inter- 

 stitiisque vivide violaceis. 



The carnelion Cowry. Shell oblong-ovate, thick, ex- 

 tremities rather obtuse, back pale flesh-coloiu-, orna- 

 mented with four or five bands of a deeper flesh tint, 

 base and sides pale fulvous, sides more or less arena- 

 ceous, teeth and interstices deep violet. 



LiNNiEUS, Syst. Nat. (12th edit.) p. 1174. 



Hr/b. Isle of Annaa, Pacific Ocean, (on the reefs) ; 

 Cuming. 



Tliis species is, perhaps, more variable in size than any 

 other of the genus ; there is no change of colom- on the 

 dorsal sm'face thi-oughout its entire growth, but the are- 

 naceous deposite round the sides, and the bright violet 

 colovu'ing of the teeth, both of which peculiarities are ex- 

 tremely characteristic, do not appear until the shell arrives 

 at maturity. 



Species 20. (Mus. Brit.) 



Cypb^a peinceps. Ci/pr. testa orbiculato-ovatd, tenui- 

 culd, ventricosissimd, dorso valde elevate, utrinque de- 

 clivi; aperturd siibangustd, sinuosd, dentibus iiumerosis, 

 extremitatibus subretusk, basi plano-convexd ; dorso 

 luteolo, roseo-purpurascente, basem versus palUdiore, 

 tincto, medio cliaracteribus rha-coloreis midulatis pro- 

 fuse picto, macula grandi saturatiore, cliaracteribus 

 pej'paucis MeroglypJdcis, utrinque nelmlato ; extremita- 

 tibus lineisfuscis tribus irregularibus, quarum mediand 

 fortissinu, concentrice ornatis, extremitate posticd striis 

 concentricis plurinm fuscescentibus subtilibus supra 

 spira apicem occultani ; lined dorsali subcentrali, redd, 

 lateribus guttis cceruleis etfmcis ornatis, quarnm non- 

 nuUisfortibus distinctis, nonmdUs nebulatis indistinctis ; 

 dentibus niveis, per columellam pallide rufo-fuscescenti- 

 bus. 



The Prince Cowry. Shell orbicularly ovate, rather thin, 

 extremely ventricose, back considerably elevated, steep 

 on each side, apertui'e rather narrow, sinuous, teeth 

 numerous, extremities rather blmit, base flatly con- 

 vex ; back yellowish, tinged with rose-piu-ple, fainter 

 towards the base, profusely painted in the middle 

 with waved rhubarb-coloui' characters, clouded on 

 each side with a squarish spot of darker colom' on 



which there are a few dark hierogl; phical characters ; 

 extremities concentrically adorned with three irregu- 

 lar brown lines, of which the middle is the strongest, 

 the posterior extremity having several finer light 

 brown concentric strife beyond the concealed spu-e ; 

 dorsal line straight, nearly central ; sides ornamented 

 with blue and brown spots of which some are strong 

 and distinct, some clouded and indistinct; teeth 

 snowy wliite, pale reddish brown across the colu- 

 mella. 



Gray, Zoological Journal, vol. 1. p. 75. 



Cyprcea Valentia, Periy (hand recognitus). 



Hab. Persian Gulf. 



Ha\'ing already spoken of the exceeding value and rarity 

 of this remarkable shell, in my introductory observations 

 to the genus, it only remains to add a more detailed his- 

 tory of its specific character. 



The (7yjt);-«a/i>7'«cfj9« presents an association of character 

 of which we find no approximation in any other species^ 

 It is of a rather light thinnish structm-e, swelling out on 

 both sides mth peculiar rotimdity and rising in the mid- 

 dle to a lofty obtuse hiunp forming a steep incline ante- 

 riorly and posteriorly to the extremities. (I now regret 

 not having decided upon a lateral view of this shell ; as it 

 is impossible to convey an accurate notion of this dorsal 

 hiunp-like elevation by its position in the accompanying 

 figm-e, which was selected in order to obtain a more cor- 

 rect representation of its makings than has hitherto ap- 

 peai'ed.) The general tone of coloiu* is a pale yellow at 

 the top, changing into a pm'jjle-pink wash at the sides, 

 and thence into white at the base. The middle is painted 

 with a close-set profusion of small waved rhubarb-yellow 

 characters, with a central straight dorsal line, and a large 

 rhomboidal dark clouded blotch on each side the dorsal 

 acclivity, the left of which is the more dift^used. Both of 

 these blotches are painted mth strong hieroglyphical marks 

 of a very decided character. Ai-ound the extremities are 

 thi'ee iiTegular concentric brown lines a little raised, or ap- 

 parently so, the middle of which is the strongest ; and on 

 the posterior end of the shell are from six to seven con- 

 centric faint brown striae immediately above the three dark 

 lines just spoken of. The teeth are rather small, numerous, 

 and white, except on crossing the colimieUa, where they 

 are reddish-brown. The sides are white, mai-ked with 

 small scattered spots of which the uppermost are brown, 

 partaking of the upper region of colom-, and distinct, whilst 

 those towards the base receive a blue-clouded appearance 

 from the overflowing of the milk-white enamel of the base. 



The only record we have of this shell's history is, that 

 it was in " Old Humplu'cy's" collection imder the name of 

 " The Brindled Co\M-y of the Persian Gidf," and it re- 

 mains in om- national collection a curious exception to the 

 favourite axiom of Linujeus, — " Natura non facit saltum." 



