C N U S. 



Plate I. 



Genus Conus, Linnaeus. 



Testa conica, ad basin, leviter emarginata, anfractibus con- 

 fertim volulis, non descendentibus ; spird varid, apice 

 obtuso, nonnunquarn subacute; aperturd longitudinali, 

 plerumque angustd ; columella raid ,• lubro simplici, 

 tenia, acuto, superne emarginato. Operculum cor- 

 neum, plerumque minutum. 



Shell conical, slightly emarginated at the base ; whorls 

 closely rolled upon their axis, not descending ; spire 

 variable, sometimes acuminated, sometimes flat ; 

 apex obtuse, occasionally rather sharp ; aperture 

 longitudinal, generally narrow ; columella straight ; 

 lip simple, thin and acute, emarginated at the upper 

 part. Operculum horny and generally very small. 



The word Conus, or one of somewhat analogous in- 

 terpretation, has been attached in all ages to this highly 

 esteemed genus. The shells which are referred to it 

 exhibit an extraordinary variation of painting, and they 

 present so great a uniformity of structure, that the de- 

 termination of species is in some instances rather a mat- 

 ter of fancy or speculation. The only elaborate memoir 

 of this group prior to Lamarck is that published by Bru- 

 guiere in the ' Encyclopedic Methodique,' from the wri- 

 tings of M. Hwass, a distinguished collector of Copen- 

 hagen, and little has been added by subsequent writers. 

 Sowerby has contributed figures of several new species 

 in his ' Conchological Illustrations,' but they are not 

 accompanied with descriptions ; these, therefore, toge- 

 ther with many of still more recent discovery, render 

 the genus one of considerable interest. 



Species 1, a and b. (Mus. Stainforth.) 



Conus Stainfobthii. Con. testd conico-turbinatd, le- 

 viter flexuosd, albidd, rubra purpureoque tinctd, ad 

 basin rosacea ; granosd, grants minutis, rubido- car- 

 neove-albis, in seriebus equidista ntibus parallelis trans- 

 versaliter dispositis ; spird. mediocriter convent, lu- 

 berculis asperis regulariter coronatd ; apice mucro- 

 nato, symmelrice acuto ; aperturd subinflald, labro 

 solidiusculo, intus extusque a/bo. 



Stainfortii's Cone. Shell conically turbinated and 

 slightly flexuous, whitish, irregularly stained with 

 a warm reddish tint and dark purple ; granular, 

 grains minute, of a reddish or fleshy-white colour, 

 transversely arranged in equidistant parallel rows ; 



spire moderately convex, very regularly coronated 

 with a row of sharp tubercles ; apex very sharply 

 pointed; aperture somewhat inflated ; rather solid, 

 white both internally and externally. 



Hub. 



The richly variegated purple painting of this new and 

 very beautiful shell (which I respectfully dedicate to its 

 possessor), with the rows of light small granular pim- 

 ples standing out in relief, renders it eminently charac- 

 teristic. 



There is another specimen in Mr. Cuming's collec- 

 tion. 



Species 2. 



Conus nobilis. Con. testd subcylindraced, plus minvsve 

 luleold, maculis sparsis albis trigono-rotundatis pro- 

 fuse pirtd, et lineis transversis, fulvo alboque articu- 

 latis, plerumque ornatd ; spird p/ano-concavd, apice 

 mucronato. 



The noble Cone. Shell rather cylindrical, more or 

 less inclining to yellow, profusely painted with 

 white, triangularly-rounded, scattered spots, and 

 generally ornamented with transverse lines, articu- 

 lated with white and yellow ; spire flatly concave, 

 pointed at the apex. 



Variety a. (Fig. 2 c, Mus. Stainforth.) 



Testdpallide luteo-citrind -. maculis cordiformibus grandis .• 



lineis transversis fere obsoletis. 

 Shell pale lemon-colour ; spots large, and heart-shaped : 



transverse lines almost obsolete. 

 Linn.eus, Syst. Nat., p. 1168. 

 Martini, Conch., vol. ii. pi. 62. f. 689. 

 Hub. Philippine Islands, Moluccas, &c. 



This shell, the well-known typical variety described 

 by Linnaeus, is widely distributed throughout the tropical 

 regions. 



Variety /3. (Fig. 2 a, Mus. Stainforth.) 



Testd luteo-castaned, maculis trigonis pan-is saturatd ; 

 dupliciter zonatd, zonis lineis transversis vividefvsco- 

 punctatis ; apice roseo-tincio. 



Shell chestnut-yellow colour, profusely covered with 

 small triangular spots; doubly banded; bands with 

 the transverse lines vividly spotted ; apex stained 

 with rose-colour. 



