C N U S. 



Plate IX. 



lecies 46. (Fig. a to g, Mus. Stainforth and Cuming.) 



intjs cedo-nulli. Con. testd turbinatd, aurantid, vel 

 olivaceo-fulvd, vel olivaceo-castaned, vet purpureo- 

 nigricante, nigro articulatim punctata, maculis albis, 

 disjunctis aut confluentibus, irregulariter pictd ; spird 

 concavo-elatii, indistincte coronatd. 



ie matchless Cone. Shell turbinated, either orange, 

 or olive yellow, or olive chestnut, or purple black, 

 articulatelydotted with black, andirregularlypainted 

 with white spots, disjoined or flowing together ; 

 spire concavely raised, indistinctly coronated. 



^ein, Tent. Ost., p. 70. No. 46. 



luguieee, Enc. Meth. vers, vol. i. part ii. p. 602. 

 pi. 316. f. 1 to 9. 



ib. West Indies (in deep water). 



Such are the normal characters of this far-famed Cone ; 

 t so variably are they developed in every specimen I 

 ve examined, that to be able to establish a strict con- 

 ational set of varieties is beyond all hope. This has 

 en nevertheless attempted ; Bruguiere in the ' Ency- 

 ipedie Methodique' particularizes nine varieties, and 

 t only enters into an elaborate exposition of each, but 

 itinguishes them by the following titles, C. c. ammi- 

 'is, mappa, Curassaviensis, Trinitarius, Martinicanus, 

 iminicanus, Surinamensis, Grenadensis and Caraccanus. 

 By these additional names it would appear that seven 

 rieties out of the nine described by this author, who 

 strictly followed by Lamarck, are confined to the par- 

 ular localities which their names indicate. If varieties 

 the Conns cedo-nulli could be defined and shown 

 ireover to be each of local nature, a better mode of 

 angement could not well be introduced ; but I doubt 

 this is to be proved. The species is of very rare oc- 

 rrence, and I must therefore be content to describe the 

 lividual specimens before me, believing them to ex- 

 lit as great and magnificent varieties of colour and 

 rking as any that have been hitherto collected toge- 

 x. 



Variety a. (Fig. 46 a. Mus. Cuming.) 



;ta aurantio alboque nebulosa, aurantio albo-puncticu- 

 lato, ulbo aurantio-puncticulato. 



ell clouded with orange and white, the white dotted 

 with orange, the orange dotted with white. 



I'his shell is the most delicate of the series ; the co- 



lour being light orange upon a faint purplish whit, 

 ground. 



Variety b. (Fig. 46 b, Mus. Stainforth.) 



Testa olivaceo-castanea, nigro alboque articulatim ci/ictti, 

 maculis albis interdum undatim confluentibus. 



Shell olive chestnut articulately encircled with black 

 and white, the white spots flowing together in 

 places in a zigzag direction. 



The painting of this shell is remarkably striking ; the 

 white zigzag and beaded spots, being shaded as it wen 

 on the outer side by a black border, appear to stand out 

 in relief upon the rich olive ground. It is very distinct 

 from any variety that has been either figured or de- 

 scribed. 



Variety c. (Fig. 46 c, Mus. Stainforth.) 



Testa purpureo-alba, maculis punctisque olivaceo-castaneis 



puree variegata. 

 Shell purplish white, sparingly variegated with olive 



chestnut dots and patches. 



The distribution of colour in this shell is not much 

 unlike that in Var. a ; instead however of being a light 

 bright orange it is a rich dark olive chestnut. This 

 specimen may probably be the Conus cedo-nulli Carac- 

 canus of Bruguiere, figured by Schubert and Wagner in 

 their Supplement to the ' Conchylien Cabinet,' pi. 220. 

 f. 3054. 



Variety d. (Fig. 46 d, Mus. Cuming.) 



Testa olivaceo-fulva, maculis albis, stepissime conjunct is, 

 fasciata, puncticulis albis et nigris articulatim cinctu. 



Shell olive yellow, banded with white spots, for the most 

 part joined together, and articulately encircled with 

 numerous rings of black and white black-bordered 

 dots. 



This shell has a lighter ground-colour than that of 

 any except Var. a and b, the white spots are arranged 

 in narrow bands, and the spire in this specimen i> pe- 

 culiarly depressed. 



Variety c. (Fig. 46 e, Mus. Stainforth.) 



Testa purpureo-nigricans, maculis purpureo-albis longitu- 

 dinaliter confluentibus in media ornata, puncticulis 

 purpureo-albis et nigris articulatim cincta. 



Shell purple-black, ornamented round the middle with 



April 1843. 



