1891. | VEEDER—ON THE ZODIACAL LIGHT. 137 
below the sutures ; periphery expanded, carinated, armed with ten wide 
spines, the spines being cut into narrow cinguli by the lines of growth; 
there is a row of nodules running spirally around the shell just above 
the peripheral spines which upon the last and penultimate whorls are 
greenish in color, but which become white upon the upper whorls ; 
there are about twenty-two of these nodules to each whorl ; base planu- 
late with about thirteen concentric tuberculate spiral lines encircling 
it; umbilical region white, with two strongish ribs, one at the end of the 
callous and the other forming part of the columella ; texture of surface, 
both above and below the periphery, granulose ; aperture transversely 
dilated, angulate; interior of aperture pearly; columella callous 
depressed. 
Alt. 42, diam. 108 mill. Aperture alt. 20, diam. 40 mill. Habitat: 
Australia. 
This large and beautiful shell is closely related to Astralium 
japonicum, Dunker,* and may prove but a variety of that species. 
Wardti is a much wider and a more depressed shell than japonicum, 
and the peripheral spines are more developed. The dimensions of the 
two species are very different and I give them both below to show their 
relative proportions. 
Japonicum. Alt. 65, diam. 95 mill. 
Wardit. Alt. 42, diam. 108 mill. 
This shell was collected by Prof. Henry A. Ward,,to whom the 
species is dedicated, in Australia some years ago and now forms part 
of his large and fine collection of shells. 
The operculum is unfortunately unknown. 
JANUARY 26, 18ogT. 
STATED MEETING. 
The President, Pror. H. L. FAarrcuHILp, in the chair. 
Twenty-two persons present. 
The following paper was read : 
THE ZODIACAL LIGHT. 
By M. A. VEEDER. 
There is in or near the plane of the ecliptic, at a distance from the 
sun greater than that to which the glow of twilight or dawn extends, a 
faintly luminous cone or band known as the zodiacal light. Under 
* Described in Phillippi Abbild., Vol. 1, Pl. 5, Fig. 1, 1845. 
