THE CONES. 75 



tesselated with white, crimson, blackish^ and brown spots, 

 and the C. imjjerialis^ or Imperial Cone,, encompassed with 

 yellow and chestnut bands, and varied on its surface with 

 purple black dots and solid lines, stained here and there 

 with blue, exhibit the most elaborate painting. And hardly 

 may the finest specimens of gold brocade eqaal the Cloth- 

 of-Gold Cone ; or the most careful productions of the 

 loom, such elaborate meshes as are seen in the Abbot, or 

 Queen Victoria Cone. The Conns mercator is distinguished, 

 also, by an elegant net-work, composed of faintly waved, yel- 

 lowish lines ; the Purple Cone, C. purjpurascens, is encircled 

 with fine purple and white necklaces ; and vivid liierogly- 

 phic spots, with three orange zones, embracing the upper, 

 lower, and middle portion of the shell, distinguish the 

 Letter-marked Cone, C. liter atus. 



Cones have the siphon in general much elongated, and 

 curved upwards and backwards over the shell; the head 

 somewhat projects, and is furnislied with a retractile pro- 

 boscis, in some instances situated on the outer side near the 

 extreme end of the tentacles ; in others, in the middle ; in 

 others, even at their outer bases. The creatures themselves are 

 often handsomely marked and marbled; but more generally 

 are less brilliant in colour than the shells which they inhabit. 



