356 MOSTLY MAMMALS 



cowry ; the latter exhibiting small white spots on a dark 

 ground, while the former is banded with dark and light, 

 without the slightest trace of spotting. It may be men- 

 tioned that this species of cowry is of a long narrow 

 shape, and it would seem, for two reasons, probable that 

 that is the primitive form of cowries, the short and broad 

 shape being a later modification. One of the reasons in 

 favour of this view is that almost all cowries which retain 

 the primitive banding in the adult condition are of the long 

 form. Among such may be mentioned the little wasp 

 cowry, the mole cowry (C. talpa), remarkable for its tawny 

 back and dark brown base, and one variety of the carnelian 

 cowry (C. carneola), as well as the orange-tipped cowry 

 {C. Isabella). Again, in the true Argus cowry, which 

 develops peculiar ringed spots in the adult condition, the 

 primitive bands are still more or less distinctly traceable 

 at all ages. 



To exemplify the second reason for the same view, we 

 may take the serpent's-head cowry. Here we see the 

 short round type in its full development, the coloration 

 being chocolate-brown above and below, with the central 

 area of the back finely spotted with white. If, however, 

 we take a young individual of this species, it will be noticed 

 that the shape of the shell is comparatively long and 

 narrow, while the colouring is in the form of bands. 

 Many other instances might be cited, but the foregoing are 

 sufficient for my present purpose. 



I may accordingly pass on to notice briefly some of the 

 more striking types of coloration presented by adult cowries. 

 Banded cowries have been already mentioned, but it may 

 be added that, from the intensity of the colours, the wasp 

 cowry is not improbably the culmination of this type. 

 On the other hand, in the flesh-coloured carnelian cowry, 



