CYPRJEA-COWRY. 71 



louring decreases as their locality approaches the 

 poles. One species called the Cyprsea Moneta * 

 is the current money of Bengal, Siam, and Af- 

 rica ; it is picked up by the negro women of the 

 Indian Islands about the full of the moon. This 

 genus, on account of its great beauty, was for- 

 merly dedicated to Venus, the fabulous divinity 

 of the island of Cyprus, from which circumstance 

 its name is derived. 



CYPR^EA Arabica.^ 



NUTMEG COWRY. 



Specific Character. Shell subovate ; colour 

 brownish, or blueish white, inscribed with dark 

 brown markings resembling Arabic characters ; 

 the sides are thickened and spotted with purple ; 

 the teeth are chesnut brown ; the dorsal streak 

 is simple. 



The shell is from two to three inches long, the 

 breadth is nearly three quarters of its length. 



The young shells of this species are blueish 

 grey, variously clouded or banded with brown ; 

 when the teeth are formed, the back appears of 

 a brownish or dull blue colour ; in this stage of 

 its growth, it has been known by the name of 

 Cyprsea Amethystea, or the Smoke Cowry* 

 Linnaeus was not aware of the change in the ap- 



* Plate II. fig. 4. t Plate II. fig. 2. 



