122 PRICES PAID FOR SHELLS chap, iv 



extravagant prices, six specimens averaging over £20 apiece. 

 Conus cedo nulli went for <£18 and <£22, C. omaicus for XI 2, 

 C. malaecanus for 10 guineas (this and one of the cedo nulli 

 being the actual specimens figured in Reeve's Conchologia 

 Iconiea)^ C. cervus for .£19 and C. gloria maris for <£42. On 

 9th May 1866 a Oypraea Broderipii v^as sold at Stevens' auction- 

 rooms for XI 3, and at the Dennison sale a Cypraea princeps 

 fetched X40, and C. guttata X42. The Volutidae, although not 

 quite touching these prices, have yet done fairly well. Mr. 

 Dennison's Voluta fusiformis sold for X6: 15s., V. papillaris for 

 X5, V. cymbiola for X5 : 15s., V. reticulata for eight guineas, 

 and two specimens of the rarest of all Volutas, V. f estiva^ for 

 X14 and X16, both being figured in the Conchologia. At the 

 same sale, two unique specimens of Oniscia Deyinisoni fetched 

 X17 and X18 respectively, and, at the Vernede sale, Ayieillaria 

 Verne dei was bought for X6 : 10s., and Voluta piperata for 

 X7:10s. 



A unique specimen of a recent Pleurotomaria (^quoyana 

 F. and B.) was purchased by Miss de Burgh in 1873 for 25 

 guineas, and another species of the same genus (^adansoniana 

 Cr. and F.), of extraordinary size and beauty, is now offered for 

 sale for about XIOO. 



'^Bivalves have never fetched quite such high prices as uni- 

 valves, but some of the favourite and showy genera have gone 

 near to rival them. On 22nd June 1869, at Stevens', Pecten 

 Solaris fetched X4:5s., P. Reevii X4:8s., and Cardita varia 

 5 guineas. Mr. Dennison's specimens of Pecten subnodosus sold 

 for X7, of Corbula Sowerhyi for £10, of Pholadomya Candida 

 for X8 and X13, while at the Vernede sale a Chama damicornis 

 fetched X7. 



