conus. 367 



Variety A. • Somewhat marbled, and the bands very indis- 

 tinct. 

 Lister Conch, t. 772. f. 18. Rumphius, t. 34. f. M. Pe- 



iiver Amb. t. 4. f. 15. Gualter, t. 21. f. D. Knorr, 



iii. t. 12. f. 4. Martini, ii. t. 55. f. 607. 

 Variety B. Bands interrupted and crowded. 



Gualter, t. 22. f. N. Knorr, vi. t. 1. f. 3. Martini, ii. t. 



57- f. 640. Chemnitz, x. t. 140. f. 1299. Enc. Metljt. 



t. 335. f. 5. 

 Inhabits the coasts of Amboyna. Rumphius. West Indian 

 Seas. Martini. Coasts of Mexico, and Brazil. Bruguiere. 

 Gmelin has so very badly defined C. leoninus and C. spurius, 

 and they are so very nearly allied, that it is impossible to as- 

 certain his meaning, or draw any satisfactory line between 

 them. Gmelin has considered the Leo ascendens of Rum- 

 phius, t. 34. f. M. from which the present name is derived, 

 to be the same as Martini, fig. 603, 604, 606 and 607, and 

 of these the two latter are conical, and appear to be differ- 

 ent from the two former, which are more pyriform. Fa- 

 vanne and Bruguiere have coupled Rumphius's figure with 

 Martini, fig. 627, and from his MSS. it appears that Dr. 

 Solander's arrangement was similar, and that he considered 

 Martini's 606, to be a Variety of the same species to which 

 he had given the name of C. Prometheus. Bruguiere, al- 

 though he has placed them separate, admits that he is un- 

 able to find any specific character to distinguish them, except 

 that the spire of C. leoninus is rather more flattened at the 

 circumference, and as the contrary occurs in some specimens 

 which are now before me, I cannot doubt the propriety of 

 uniting them. Dr. Solander has referred to Martini, 604, 

 for a separate species under the name of C. ornatus, and has 

 described it with elevated granulous lines at the base. 



characteristics. 26*. Shell conical, transversely 

 grooved at the base, white, with numerous 

 reddish character-like spots ; spire truncated, 

 and spotted with brown. 



Conus characteristicus. Chemnitz, xi. p. 54. 1. 182. f. 1760 

 and 1761. 



Inhabits the West Indian Seas on the coasts of the Island of 

 St. Bartholomew. Chemnitz. 



Shell about an inch and three-quarters long, and nearly two- 

 thirds as broad, and of the transverse rows of spots three are 

 larger than the others, and have a fancied resemblance to 

 Arabic characters. 



