Miscellaneous. 455 



this species, which was of a most beautiful purple colour, was 

 always very much extruded from the shell, and the foot was of 

 enormous size. The animal of Valuta magellanica is also purple, 

 but of a much paler tint than that of the other Yolute. I regret 

 I was unable to make drawings of the animals while alive ; but nu- 

 merous specimens of both species were included in the collection of 

 marine animals in spirit which I sent to the British Museum last 

 year. 



Believe me. 



My dear Sir, 



Very truly yours, 



HoBEKT 0. Cunningham. 

 Dr. J. E. Qraij, F.R.S. 



A mature Shell of Cypraea fusco-dentata, Gray. 

 By F. P. Marrat. 



Mr. R. Keen, of Edge Lane, Liverpool, has recently procured a 

 very interesting series of this shell, numbering nine or ten varie- 

 ties; they fully exhibit the different stages of growth, from the 

 earlier states to the finely coloured adult individual. The question 

 formerly advanced of this being a ribbed species resembling Cyprcea 

 capensis, Gray, is now completely and definitely settled. AU the 

 specimens hitherto obtained of this rare shell have been either young 

 or decorticated ; and it would appear that the species is extremely 

 rare in a perfect state. This series includes the first and only ex- 

 ample known to be so. 



The shell is a very fine one, measuring 1^ inch, with the teeth 

 fully developed. The colour is dirty drab, similar to the shells 

 usually figured ; but the back is covered with rufous-brown close 

 spots like those on Cyp. errones, Linn,, and nearly as glossy, but 

 has them larger, more confluent, and more sufPused. The slightly 

 raised ribs usually seen in young examples are not entirely oblite- 

 rated by having the extra coat of enamel deposited over them. 



100 Edge Lane, Liverpool. 



Baleine des Indes. 



Under the above name there are manufactured and sold in Germany 

 (and these have been offered for sale in London) longitudinal slips of 

 the horn of the Long-horned Buffalo of India, called the Arnee. The 

 slips are cut of different thickness and width to serve the purposes 

 of the stay- and dressmakers, the longest as yet made being only 

 15 inches. I fear that the slips must be much more brittle than 

 good whalebone, as they are destitute of the longitudinal fibres 

 that give strength to the true whalebone. If they do answer, I do 

 not see why the slips might not be made of any length, the horns 

 being artificially united together into a mass, as the ox-horns are in 

 Paris, to make sticks and other articles. — J. E. Gray. 



