CYPRJEA. 439 



tiver Amb. t. 16. f. 5. Gualter, t. 16. f. Q. Knorr, 

 v. t. 28. f. 5. Erie. Method, t. 352. f. 1. 



Inhabits the Straights of Sunda, and coasts of Madagascar. 

 Linnaus. Amboyna. Rumphius. 



Shell generally about two inches long, and the breadth is nearly 

 three fifths of the length ; the back is brownish or bluish 

 white, covered with irregular brown markings resembling 

 Arabic characters ; the sides towards the base are thickened, 

 and spotted with purple ; base flesh-coloured, with chestnut 

 teeth, and the throat is violet. Young shells are bluish grey 

 variously clouded or banded with brown, and when the teeth 

 are formed the back becomes brownish or dull blue, in 

 which stage of its growth it is known by the name of C. 

 amethystea, or the Smoke Cowry. — Linnanis does not seem 

 to have been aware of the different appearances which the 

 Cowries assume at different periods of their growth, and 

 from the want of this knowledge, has described the present 

 species under three different names. 



HiSTRio, 4. Shell ovate-oblong, with the character- 

 like markings confluent, and inclosing paler 

 spots. 



Cypraea Histrio. Mas. Gevers. p. 404. Gmelin, p. S403. 



Lamarck in Ann. du Mus. xv. p. 450. 

 Cyprsea reticulata. Martyn Univ. Conch. 1. 15. Gmelin, 



p. 3420. 

 Cypraea Arlequina. Chemnitz, x. p. 110. t. 145. f. 1346 



and 1347. 

 Cypraea Arabica. Var. ]3. Bom Mus. p. 173. Gmelin, p. 



3398. 

 Bonanni Rec. 3. f. 260, and Kirch, f. 259- Lister Conch. 



t. 659. f. 3 a. Rumphius, t. 39- f. R- Petiver Gaz. 



t. 53. f. 6, and Amb t. 16. f. 3. Argenville App. t. 2. 



f. I. Knorr, ii. t. 16. f. 1. 

 Inhabits many parts of the Indian Ocean. Petiver. Coasts of 



Amboyna. Rumphius. Friendly Islands. Martyn. 

 C. Histrio differs from C. Arabica, principally in having its 

 markings more reticulated, with the spaces between the 

 larger meshes of an uniform pale colour, and only the smaller 

 interstices filled up with irregular brown lines, and in being 

 rather narrower in proportion to the length. The sides are 

 thickened, and somewhat tumid at the base, and are gene- 

 rally tinged with a fine bloom colour. 



