80 FISHERIES OF THE ORIENTAL REGION, 



with large and very finely shaped or colored specimens of Fusus, 

 Pleurotoma (babylonica), Melo, Ranella, Terebra or augur-shell, and 

 Turbinella cor nig era. The finely enamelled and brilliant cowries 

 and olives are, of course, numerously represented, notably Gyprcaa 

 tigris, histrio, argus, (rarely) arabica, mappa, annulus (very 

 common), and Ovulum ovum. The olives are confined to one or 

 two species, such as 0. irisans and 0. oryza, but they are served 

 out in bushels in beautiful preservation, with abundance of 

 Naticas and Neritas ; Nerita coslata, atropurpurea, polita and 

 albicilla. Trochus niloticus, and Turbo marmoratus are also common, 

 and, together with the nautilus shell, often deprived of the outer 

 shelly coat, which is chipped off with ruthless vandalism to display 

 the nacreous interior. The bivalve shells are well represented by 

 the clams, Hippopus maculatus and Tridacna squamosa, always 

 abundant and of large size ; the beautiful Pecten pleuronectes 

 (both the thin red and white porcelain varieties) is common, with 

 Placuna. placenta which is , used instead of glass in the window- 

 frames in the Philippines, Macao, (fee. ; and the clumsy-looking 

 P. sella in all the glories of its gold and purple nacre. Curious 

 pmnee, mussels, cardiums and pearl oysters must complete this 

 list, which has only partly enumerated the conchological splendors 

 of the Malayan region. 



Corals. — A great number and variety of corals are exposed 

 for sale along with the shells, including, of course, a large propor- 

 tion of branching Madrepores, such as M. secunda, abrotinoides, 

 nobilis, echinata, acervata, arbuscula or rosaria, appersa, conigera, 

 brachiata, plantaginea, subulata, spicifera, securis, besides a good 

 many encrusting species. The Fungia or mushroom corals are 

 very abundant, including F. patella, danw, and echinata, with 

 Herpetolitha Umax and Polyphyllia pelvis. The large cup-shaped 

 Turbinarias are abundant, with the usual cespitose tufts of 

 Seriatopera, Pocillopora, the thorny Mussas, besides numerous 

 brain-corals, Favia, Symphyllia, Astrcea, and other meandroid 

 LithophyllaCjEA. Galaxea astrceata is plentiful ; and one day, 

 when fishing off the Dindings, my line became entangled with a 



