MELV1LL: A REVISION OF THE TEXTILE CONES. 31I 



V. AUREI. 



Shells sub-cylindrical, merging into the next sub-genus Hermes, 

 ribbed spirally, spire elevated, very obtuse, convex. 



C. aureus Hwass. — Much like C. pauluccice Sowb. in marking, but 

 not of such conical, regular shape, and spirally ribbed, not smooth. 

 Not infrequent in the Moluccas and Philippines. 



C. clavus L. — A very beautiful and delicate species, marked with 

 orange and brown reticulations on a white ground. Very elongate, 

 with rounded obtuse spire which is often spotted. By some authors 

 this is considered a Hermes, near C. nussatella I,., which it much 

 resembles in form, but in marking it is eminently a Textile Cone. 

 It is of wide distribution in the eastern tropics, from Java to New 

 Caledonia, and also Polynesia. 



It will thus be seen that, in the new arrangement proposed, the 

 principal changes proposed from the first list are as follows : — 



(a). The sections Lucidi and Retiferi, preceding (not following) the 

 Textilia. 



(b). Among the Textilia, C. corbula Sowb. and C. euetrios Sowb., the 

 latter now treated as a variety only, are removed from the Vera 

 to a place among the Abbates, where also the new species, C. 

 cholmondeleyi Melv. is for the present lodged. 



(c). The sequence in the section Pyramidalia is altered, while the 

 species remain the same. 



(d). In the section Aulici, the group Episcopi precedes Crocati, the 

 sequence in this section being likewise altered. A colour variety 

 propenudus is proposed of C. aulicus, C. autatus Hwass being 

 still, though with some hesitation, kept distinct specifically, while 

 C. madagascariensis Sowb. is considered but a variety of C. 

 omaria Hwass. 



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I may just add that in our National Collection the two nearly allied 

 species C. neptunus Reeve and (7- neptunoides E. A. Sm. are arranged 

 between C. gloria ma/ is Ch. and C. telatus Reeve, this latter being, 

 as already said, in close proximity to C. ammiralis L. and other 

 Leptoconi. C. neptunus has a certain reticulate pattern, somewhat 

 resembling the Textile Cones, but I think it more likely to belong to 

 the section Rhizoco?ms or Chelyconus Morch. Paetel, however, classes 

 both C. neptunus and C. neptunoides as Cylindri. It may be, indeed, 

 that there is a closer connection between these species and C. prevosti 

 Sowb. than is at present suspected, and I would invite students of the 

 genus to essay a closer analysis of the various groups of the genus as 

 now constituted, with a view to a future critical monograph of the five 

 to six hundred species of Conns already described, when I prophesy 

 it will be found that certain of the Leptoconi, and even of the Mar- 

 morei, have more than a superficial affinity with the Cylindri. 



