DELPHINULA.— Plate I. 



has a peculiarly soft white appearance, and the umbi- 

 licus in all the specimens I have seen is coloured with 

 a deep purple lake, without the least tinge of the rich 

 golden yellow which shades the crimson of the upper 

 portion of the whorls. 



Species 3. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Delphinula aculeata. Delph. testd subdiscoided, acu- 

 leatd, albidd ; anfractibus perangulatis, angulo spinis 

 squamaformibus ftexuosis, dorsim coccineis, coronato, 

 anfractuum parte inferiori spinarum seriebus duabus, 

 aculeolisque squamaformibus in seriebus parallelis 

 dispositis, ornatd ; spird depresso-j)land. 



The prickly Delphinula. Shell nearly discoid, 

 prickly, whitish; whorls sharply angular, angle 

 surmounted with a row of flexuous scale-like spines, 

 scarlet-coloured at the back ; lower portion of the 

 whorls ornamented with two rows of spines and a 

 number of small scale-like prickles arranged in par- 

 allel rows ; spire depressly flat. 



Variety /3. 

 (Vide Plate III.) 



Reeve, Pro. Zool. Soc, 1842; Conch. Syst, vol. ii. 



pi. 212. f. 8. 

 Hab. Island of Ticao, Philippines (found under stones 



on the reefs at low water) ; Cuming. 



The thin flexuous spines which surmount the upper 

 part of the whorls are of very peculiar character ; and 

 the scarlet at the back of these spines is the only por- 

 tion of colour in the shell. The entire surface of the 

 shell, but more particularly within and around the um- 

 bilicus, is covered with sharp prickles. 



Species 4. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Delphinula atrata. Delph. testd subdiscoided, squa- 

 mosd.pallide purpurea; anfractibus superne angulatis, 

 angulo squamis brevibus sublaciniatis atratis coronato, 

 parte inferiori squamis minoribus squamulisque minu- 



tissimis aculeatis, in seriebus parallelis dispositis, or- 

 natd ; spird depresso-pland. 



The black-dyed Delphinula. Shell somewhat dis- 

 coid, pale purple ; whorls angulated round the up- 

 per part, angle surmounted with short, slightly 

 laciniated black scales ; lower portion ornamented 

 with smaller scales, and a number of very small 

 prickly scales arranged in parallel rows ; spire de- 

 pressly flat. 



Reeve, Conch. Syst., vol. ii. pi. 212. f. 12. 



Delphinusatratus, Chemnitz, Conch., vol. v. pi. 175. 



f. 1730 and 1731. 

 Delphinula laciniata (young), Kiener. 



Hab. Philippine Islands (found under stones on the reefs 

 at low water) ; Cuming. 



This shell partakes of the characters of the D. laci- 

 niata and imperialis, but it retains a good specific pecu- 

 liarity in all stages of growth. I do not hesitate to adopt 

 the same distinction that was accorded to it by Chemnitz. 



Species 5. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Delphinula incisa. Delph. testd globoso-discoided, 

 liris purpureis angustis, subflexuosis, interstitiis albis, 

 profundi incisis, totaliter tectd; anfractibus tuber- 

 culis grandibus, complicatis, distantibus, in seriebus 

 duabus dispositis, ornatis ; apertura rotundd, margine 

 inferiori lacunato ; spird depresso-pland. 



The engraved Delphinula. Shell globosely discoid, 

 entirely covered with narrow purple slightly waving 

 ridges, the interstices between which are white and 

 deeply engraved ; whorls ornamented with two rows 

 of large distant stunted tubercles ; aperture round, 

 lower margin guttered ; spire depressly flat. 



Reeve, Pro. Zool. Soc, 1843; Conch. Syst., vol. ii. 

 pi. 212. f. 11. 



Hab. Port Essington, North Coast of New Holland; 

 Gilbert. 



A single specimen only of this new and interesting 

 species was found by Mr. Cuming at the above-ment 

 tioned locality ; it may be recognised by the pinched 

 stunted growth of the tubercles, and by the interstices of 

 the fine waved purple ridges being very deeply engraved. 



