THE CEPHALOUS MOLLUSKS. 233 
able hieroglyphics. . The colours of some are really brilliant. The 
beautiful marking and great rarity of some specimens of the Conus 
or of the Porcelains, have caused them to fetch high prices. Ama- 
teurs will give £30 or £40 for a rare specimen of a porcelain; and, 
CONUS MARMOREUS. 
at the beginning of the eighteenth century, a conus was sold for 
450; and even now a Scalaria pretiosa will sell for £80. 
The Cyprea, or porcelain shells, are very widely distributed ; 
but the best specimens come from the Indian Ocean. The orange 
porcelain has long been greatly esteemed. The savage chiefs of 
Australia wear necklaces of them, as insignia of their rank. 
Naturalists have invented a classical nomenclature, which 
CYPRAA CERVINA. 
amateurs do not take the trouble either to learn or use. They 
have given the shells popular names, which are based on some 
visible peculiarity ; or where this is wanting, a fancied superiority 
in rank has supplied them with terms such as ambassadors, 
governors, commanders, captains, soldiers. here is also an eccle- 
siastical set—wicars, bishops, archbishops, cardinals. 
The univalve mollusks have one, two, and even sometimes 
three jaws. In this last case one is the upper, and the other two 
