CON US. 



Plate XVII. 



Species 90. (Mus. Cuming.) 

 Conus stercus-muscarum. Con. testa cylindraceo-turbi- 

 natil, albidd, seriatim nigerrimo-punctatd, punctis sub- 

 quadratis identidem coaceruatis, interslitiis sparsim 

 albitaniatis ; spird convexo-obtusd, canaiiculatd, apice 

 rosaceo; aperturd subampld, fauce incarnato tinctd. 

 The fly-dung Cone. Shell cylindrically turbinated, 

 whitish, encircled with rows of jet-black dots, dots 

 somewhat square, here and there heaped together, 

 the spaces being sparingly filleted with opake white ; 

 spire convexly obtuse, canaliculated, apex rose- 

 tinted ; aperture rather large, interior stained with 

 flesh-colour. 

 Linn^us, Syst. Nat. (Gmelin's edit.), p. 3385. 

 Lamarck. Anim. sans vert., vol. vii. p. 511. 

 Hab. Ceylon, Amboyna, &c. 



I have selected three species for illustration in the 

 plate now before me, approximating in some measure in 

 o-eneral appearance, but remarkably distinct on examina- 

 tion. They are the Coni stercus-muscarum, arenatus, 

 and pulicarius ; the first may be recognised by its cylin- 

 drical form, by the spire not being coronated, and by the 

 small size, dark colour, regularity, and profusion of the 

 dots ; the second by its more stout and solid growth, by 

 the spire being very strongly coronated, and by the 

 lio-hter colour and promiscuously sprinkled character of 

 the dots ; and the third by the large size and more sparing 

 distribution of the spots, which are moreover not set in 

 parallel rows as in the first species, from which it fur- 

 ther differs in having the spire coronated. 



Lamarck particularises a variety of the species under 

 consideration, C. stercus-muscarum, with the spots red ; 

 but I think he must have described it from a worn spe- 

 cimen. I am not aware of any decided red-spotted va- 

 riety, analogous, for example, to that of the Conus ebur- 

 neus (vide Plate XIX. f. 10G a.). 



Species 91. (Fig. a& b, Mus. Cuming.) 

 Conus luteus. Con. testa elongato-turbinutd, basim 

 versus attenuatd ; luted, monilibus castaneis, exilibus, 

 cinctd, maculisque nigro-castaueis alho eximie limba- 

 tis, in spiram et in anfractfls medium tessellutd ; 

 spird obtuso-productd, apice mucronato. 

 The yellow Cone. Shell elongately turbinated, at- 



tenuated towards the base ; pale yellow, encircled 

 with faint chestnut necklace belts, and tessellated 

 on the spire and middle of the shell with dark 

 spots delicately edged with white ; spire obtusely 

 produced, apex pointed. 

 Broderip, Pro. Zool. Soc, 1833. 

 Sowerby, Conch. Mus., f. 8*. 



Variety /3. (Fig. 91 a.) 

 Testa rosacea. Shell rose-colour. 

 Sowerby, Conch. Mus., f. 8. 



Hab. Island of Annaa, Pacific Ocean (found on the 

 reefs) ; Cuming. 

 The following excellent account of the Conus luteus 

 by Mr. Broderip will assist greatly in identifying it : — 

 " The spire of this species, though full and rounded, 

 terminates in a short acute point. The shell tapers ra- 

 pidly towards the base. When in perfection, its rich 

 saffron-colour, girt with numerous delicate necklaces, 

 and the broad belt of interrupted tessellated spots of the 

 darkest chestnut, bordered with the purest white, give 

 it a very beautiful appearance. The tessellated spots 

 are so regularly set on the whorls of the spire as to look 

 like mosaic work." 



The author here quoted seems not to have been ac- 

 quainted with the var. jj, or he would have selected pro- 

 bably a more appropriate specific title for this shell. The 

 rose-colour variety of the yellow Cone is rather anomalous 

 reading ; he might be reminded of the force and accuracy 

 of the following observations made by him in the same 

 memoir in which the species occurs : — "Colour will be 

 found in many species to be the result of locality, food 

 or temperature." 



Species 92. (Mus. Dennison.) 

 Conus arenatus. Con. testa obeso-turbinutd, alba, 

 punctis minutis rubido-fuscis acervatim conspersd . 

 punctis interdum, autem rarb, fasciatim dispositis . 

 spird convexo-planulatd.fortiter coronatd, apice mu- 

 cronato; aperturte fauce pallida incarnato tinctd. 

 The sandy Cone. Shell stoutly turbinated, white, 

 promiscuously sprinkled with small reddish-brown 

 dots; dots sometimes, but rarely, disposed in bands ; 

 spire convexly flat, strongly coronated, apex point- 

 ed; faintly stained with flesh -colour within the 

 aperture. 



July 1843. 



