42 The Williams Collection of Shells 



perfection of individual specimens that awaken special 

 admiration. One longs for an artist to reproduce in 

 color those seventy-five beautiful specimens of the 

 nineteen known forms of this genus. 



The Coltjmbellidae, — one hundred and ninety 

 species, down to Sowerby's new little Columbella filmerae 

 from Pondoland. Perhaps some of the described forms 

 are missing, but who will affirm it? In this hasty sur- 

 vey, they must be slighted, — but here they have not 

 been slighted, and one sees with delight their delicate 

 beauty and special attractiveness. 



The "Cones" (Conidae) command attention, with 

 Conus gloria-maris enthroned in their midst. Let 

 us not say what it cost, — one need know but little of 

 shells in order to guess, — but there are many others in 

 the collection whose prices ranged from twenty to 

 forty-five dollars apiece. Here also is the very rare 

 Conus cervus, a fine specimen three and three-quarter 

 inches long, — a species of which the British Museum 

 specimen, the pride of that collection, cost $500. A 

 beautiful pair of C. rhododendron are among other 

 gems in the cabinet. The entire list of this family, 

 three hundred and twenty-five species in the col- 

 lection, is here given. There are probably half as 

 many more specimens, showing variation in size and 

 color. 



