Dr. J. E. Gray on Cowries from the Sandwich Islands. 49 



VI. — Note on some Specimens of Cyprsea {Cowries) from the 

 Sandwich Islands. By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.ll.S., V.P.Z.S. &c. 



The British Museum has lately received, from Mr. Pease of 

 Honolulu in the Sandwich Islands, a small collection of marine 

 shells, among which there are a number of specimens of Cow- 

 ries {Cfiprceida), all more or less diflfering from the usual normal 

 condition of the species. 



The peculiarities may be separated under two heads. 



I. Many specimens, instead of being of their usual colour, are 

 much paler, nearly white, with the markings which are charac- 

 teristic of the species very pale and indistinct, or in some cases 

 entirely obliterated. 



Specimens with this peculiarity occur of the following spe- 

 cies : — 



1. Cyprcea caurica. Very pale; margin pure white, very ob- 

 scurely spotted. 



2. Cypraa cruenta. The back with three slightly marked, 

 broad bands, the purple spots on the margin scarcely indicated, 

 and the usual orange colour of the mouth only forming a pale 

 yellowish tint between the teeth. 



3. Cyprcea fimbriat a ? The back white, with three very obscure, 

 interrupted, broad, brown bauds ; the base white ; the margin 

 with a few small, pale brown, round spots; and the apices of the 

 aperture without any indications of the usual purple spots. 



4. Cyprcea Gascoini. Much paler than the specimen ori- 

 ginally described, being very pale dirty yellowish, with regular 

 circular white spots ; the base white, with a few small brown 

 dots on the upper edge of the margin. One specimen is pale 

 yellowish white, with very obscure, almost imperceptible indica- 

 tions of the round whiter spots on the back. 



II. The second series, instead of being of their usual colour, 

 are of a more or less deep and bright pellucid yelk-yellow colour, 

 with the markings that characterize the species in other locali- 

 ties more or less completely obliterated. 



As, for example, — 



1. Cyprcsa sulcidentata. There was only a bad specimen of 

 this species in the collection ; but I have seen other specimens, 

 sent at the same time from the same locality, which are of a 

 very bright orange-yellow colour, almost as bright and deep as 

 a fine-coloured orange living Cypraa aurora. 



2. Cyprcea arenosa. Much yellower and more pellucid than 

 usual. 



3. Cyprcea Isabella. More pellucid than usual, with the 

 black marks very distinct and large. 



4. Cyprcea Helvola. Of a pale yellow colour, with white 

 Ann. ^- May. X. Hist. Ser. 3. Vol. \\. 4 



