33 



and many, in like manner, have the surface sometimes smooth and some- 

 times granulated, but never punctured. Granulated specimens are invari- 

 ably of smaller size than smooth examples of the same species ; the same ob- 

 servation does not, however, hold good in reference to those which are coro- 

 nated. The beautiful Admii'al Cone (6'. ammiralis) is found either smooth, 

 or granulated, or coronated; and there are many species whose specific 

 character is almost solely maintained, through different modifications of 

 form, by the general affinity of their colour and markings. The C. magus, 

 on the contrary, is mostly variable in colour, yet its specific integrity is 

 preserved throughout by the unity of design in its markings. 



The Cones are mostly inhabitants of deep water, and nearly all are tropi- 

 cal; one or two are found as far north as the Mediterranean, but they 

 essentially require a warmer region. Like all tropical fauna they present a 

 most vivid display of colours, and the mechanism of their calcifying fila- 

 ments must be of very exquisite workmanship. In order to produce the 

 wondrous detail of pattern portrayed in the C. gloria-maris, or in the banded 

 net-work of the C. ammiralis, which is scarcely discernible without the 

 aid of a lens, the moUusk must be endowed with an astonisliing ingenuity 

 of design ; and for the simultaneous production of so many colours as are 

 exliibited in the C. aurisiactis or imperialis, its molecular fluid must have 

 many more sources of colouring matter than a weaver at his loom. ^Iiere, 

 indeed, do we find so rich a brocade of gold as in the C. textile, or a web 

 of such elaborate meshes as in the C. abbas or Victoria ? 



The genus Conus is very numerous in species, and many of them, parti- 

 cularly the C. magus, omaria, vemdatus, jirinceps, thalassiarchus, cedo-nnlli, 

 spectrum Mozambicus, Guinaicus, and one or two others, are extremely 

 variable, both in form and colour ; they may, nevertheless, be readily dis- 

 criminated by attentive study. 



1. abbas, Hwass. 



2. abbreviatus, Nuttall. 



3. achatinus, Chemn. 



4. aculeiformis, Reeve. 



5. acuminatus, Jltcass. 



6. acutaiigulus, Chemn. 



7. Adamsoni, Oray. 



8. Adansoni, Lam. 



9. aemulus, Reeve. 



10. albimaculatus, Sow. 



11. Algoensls, Sow. 



12. amabilis, Lam. 



13. Amadis, Martini. 



Species. 



14. ambiguus, Reeve. 



15. ammiralis, Linn. 



16. anemone, Lam. 



17. aplustre. Reeve. 



18. araneosus, Ilwass. 



19. archiepiscopus, LIw. 



20. archon, Brod. 



21. arcuatus, Brod. 



22. arenatus, Hwass. 



23. artoptus. Sow. 



24. attenuatus, Reeve. 



25. augur, Hwass. 



26. aulicus, Linn. 



27. aurantius, Htoass. 



28. auratus. Lam. 



29. aureus, LLwass. 



30. aurisiacus, Linn. 



31. aurora, Lam,. 



32. austrahs, Chemn. 



33. bseticus, Reeve. 



34. balteatus, Sow. 



35. Bandanus, Hwass. 



36. Barbadensis, Hw. 



37. betuhnus, Linn. 



38. Broderipii, Reeve. 



39. brunneus, Wood. 



