CONUS.— Plate IX. 





longitudinally zigzag flowing purple-white spots, 

 and articulately encircled with rings of black and 

 purple-white dots. 

 A dark-jet purple shell of surpassing rarity and beauty, 

 to which neither figure nor description can do justice. 



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

 Testa olivaceo-fulva, maculis irregularis, purpureo-albis, 

 superne et in medio fasciata, puncticulis purpureo- 

 albis et nigris articulatim cincta. 

 Shell olive-yellow, banded round the middle and upper 

 parts with irregular purple-white spots, and articu- 

 lately encircled with rings of black and purple- 

 white dots. 

 I believe this variety to be the Conus cedo-nulli ammi- 

 ralis of Bruguiere, Conus cedo-nulli verus seu principalis 

 of Lamarck, the type of the series and very distinct 

 from any other. The shell here represented, in the 

 finest possible condition, is of a bright olive yellow 

 colour, hence we may infer that Lamarck's cinnamon- 

 coloured specimens (aurantio-cinnamomea), figured in 

 Delessert's ' Recueil de Coquilles,' may be worn or dis- 

 coloured. 



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

 Testa olivaceo-castanea, albo nigro-puncticulato superne, 



mediane et in/erne fasciata ; puncticulis albis et nigris 

 articulatim cincta. 

 Shell dark olive chestnut, banded round the lower, mid- 

 dle, and upper parts with black-dotted white, and 

 articulately encircled with rings of black and white 

 dots. 



There is a rich but smaller specimen of this variety in 

 the magnificent collection of M. B. Delessert at Paris 

 (' Recueil de Coquilles,' pi. 40. f. 7.). 



I may be censured probably by many for not adhering 

 to the scale of varieties adopted by Bruguiere and La 

 marck; few, however, could have laboured more pa 

 tiently to arrange their specimens in accordance wit! 

 the views of those authors, and none to less advantage 

 for the painting of this species is of infinite characte 

 and colour. 



The Conus cedo-nulli being an inhabitant of deep wa 

 ter, and therefore rarely cast ashore, is a shell highly t 

 be prized by collectors ; its rarity and surpassing beaut 

 have been "expatiated upon by writers from Klein t 

 those of the present day, and it may still be said to mej 

 the title of " J yield to none." 



