210 SPONDYLUS. 



and has the lower valve generally more concave than the up- 

 per. It varies so infinitely in its colour, and the size, and 

 form of the spines, that it is difficult to find two shells alike, 

 and the following are only a few of the leading varieties which 

 have been described in Callone's and the Portland Cata- 

 logues. — A. "White and scarlet, with long palmated spines." 

 B. " White and yellowish pink, with lajge foliations on the 

 under valve." C. " Small, yellow and white, with long pal- 

 mated spines." D. " White and scarlet, with red tinted 

 spines." E. " Scarlet and yellow, with a long beak." F. 

 " Scarlet and yellow, with the under valve ventricose, the beak 

 short, and delicate spines." G. " Scarlet and yellow, with 

 the bottom valve finely foliated." H. " Scarlet, with white 

 narrow spines." I. " Scarlet, and a little white, with red 

 spines, and the lower valve foliated." K. " Scarlet, with 

 broad white spines." L. " Scarlet, pink, and white, with 

 long pink curved spines." M. " Large, broad, dark red, yel- 

 low, and pink, with short spines on the upper, and large fo- 

 liations and long spines on the under valve, and the ears thick 

 set with spines." N. " Saffron-coloured." O. " Dark pur- 

 ple, with a very long beak." P. " White and orange, mottled 

 with black." Q. " White, mottled and rayed with pink." 

 R. " White, pink, and orange, mottled with purple." S. 

 " Whitish, with purple spines." T. " Whitish, with purple 

 stripes." V. " White, with purple spots." W. " Scarlet, 

 with ramified spines." 8tc. &c. 



hegius. 2. Shell without ears, and spinous. 



Spondylus regius. Limwus Syst. Nat. p. 1136. Chemnitz, 

 vii. p. 83. t. 46. f. 47 1. Schroeter Einl. iii. p. 205. Gme- 

 lin, p. 3298. Barbut. p. 45. t. 5. f. 2. 

 Argenville, t. 20. f. G. Favanne, t. 43. f. E. 

 Inhabits India. Linnaus. 



Linnaeus says that this shell is larger, and has the spines and 

 grooves stronger, but it is most probably nothing more than 

 one of the almost endless varieties of S. G&daropus. 



plicatus. 3. Shell without ears or spines, and 

 plaited longitudinally. 



Spondylus plicatus. Linn&us Syst. Nat. p. 1136. Chem- 

 nitz, vii. p. 90. t. 47. f- 479 to 482. Schroeter Einl. iii. 

 p. 206. Gmelin, p. 3298. Brooks's Introd. p. 68. t. 3. 

 f. 30. 



Plicatula gibbosa. Lamarck Syst. des Anim. p. 132. 



