368 MANUAL OF THE MOLLUSCA. 



Imbricaria carbonacea. Trivia ovulata. 



Yoluta armata. Cypraea, 22 sp. Octopus argus. 



„ scapha. Luponia algoeasis. Sepia, 4 sp. 



„ abyssjcola, 132 fra. Cyprovnlum (capense). 



Marginella rosea. Conus, 8 sp. 



The following are stated to be common to the Cape and European seas.* 



Saxicava (arctica?) Greenland, Medit. Chama grypboides, Medit. Red Sea. 



Tellina fabula, Brit. Medit. Pecten pusio, Brit. 



Lucina lactea, Medit. Red Sea. 



„ fragilis, Medit. Dipbyllidia (lineata?) N. Brit, Medit. 



Venus verrncosa, "W.Indies? Brit. Se- Eulima nitida, Medit. 



negal, Canaries, Red Sea, Australia ? Purpura lapillus ?? (not in Medit.). 



Tapes pullastra, Nortb Sea. Nassa marginulata. 



„ geograpbica, Medit. Octopus vulgaris ? Brit. 



Area lactea, Medit. Argonauta argo, Medit. 



VlTl. Indo-Pacific Province. 



This is by far the most extensive area over which similar shell-fish and 

 other marine animals are distributed. It extends from Australia to Japan, 

 and from the Bed Sea and east coast of Africa to Easter Island in the Pacific, 

 embracing three-fifths of the circumference of the globe and 45^ of latitude. 

 This great region might indeed be subdivided into a number of smaller pro- 

 vinces, each having a particular association of species, and some peculiar 

 shells ; such as the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, Madagascar, &c. ; but a con- 

 siderable number of species are found throughout the province, and their 

 general character is the same.f Mr. Cuming obtained more than 1 00 species 

 of shells from the eastern coast of Africa, identical with those collected by him- 

 self at the Philippines, and in the eastern coral islands of the Pacific.:|: This 

 is pre-eminently the region of coral reefs, and of such shell-fish as affect their 

 shelter. The number of species inhabiting it must amount to several 

 thousands. The Philippine Islands have afforded the greatest variety, but 

 their apparent superiority is due, in a measure, to the researches of jNIr. 

 Cuming ; no other portion of the province has been so thoroughly explored. § 



Amongst the genera most characteristic of the Indo-Pacific, those 

 marked (*) are wholly wanting on the coasts of the Atlantic, but half of 

 them occur fossil in the older tertiaries of Europe. Those in italics are also 

 found oil the west coast of America. 



* Marks of doubt are added to some of the spec'.es, and other are quite omitted. 



+ See Mrs. Somerville's Physical Geography, II. p. 233. 



i Journal Geol. Soc. 1846, vol. II. p. 268. 



i Mr. Cuming collected 2500 species of sea-shells at the Philippines, and estimates 

 the total number at a thousand more. The genera most developed are Conus 120 sp., 

 Pleurotoma 100, Mitra 2.50, Columbella 40, Cyprcea 50, Nat tea 50, Chiton 30, 

 Tellina 50. 



