CHAPTER XVIII: THE CONE SHELLS 



Family Conid/^. 

 Genus CONUS, Linn. 



Shell heavy, porcellanous, inversely conical; spire broad, 

 body whorl tapering to notched base; aperture long, narrow; 

 lip thin, with sinus at suture; surface usually smooth, with striae 

 crossing the whorl, variously marked, under thin epidermis; 

 operculum claw-shaped; head with snout enclosed in a long 

 cylindrical veil, eyes on bases of tentacles; teeth set on a tubular 

 prolongation of the proboscis; foot long, narrow; mantle enclosed, 

 ending in anterior siphon. A single genus of over four hun- 

 dred species, preying on other mollusks in tropical waters. 

 Fossil species, one hundred. 



This is one of the shell families it is easy to recognise at sight. 

 The name defines the shape of the shell. Few of us will ever see 

 the mollusks alive, but every alert collector may, and will, have 

 specimens of the shells. 



Both alive and dead, cone shells are handsome. We cannot 

 imagine the wondrous beauty of tropical beaches. Fishes and 

 all other creatures inhabiting the limpid water rival the birds 

 and insects in brilliance of colouring and grace of motion. No 

 more beautiful forms and colours are found in the flowers and 

 foliage of tropical plants than are matched among the seaweeds 

 and gorgonias and sea anemones that form the groves among 

 coral reefs. 



The cones do their share to make the coral groves beautiful 

 as fairy land. They are favourites with collectors, holding their 

 own with cowries and other high-priced shells. Some species 

 are not only beautiful but rare, a combination of characters 

 which in the case of the "glory of the sea" iC. gloria-marts) has 

 run the price at auctions to £4^ sterling, and keeps it up even 

 now near the high water mark of shell prices. Six specimens 



III 



