356 MOSTLY MAMMALS 
cowry ; the latter exhibiting small white spots on a dark 
ground, while the former is banded with dark and light, 
without the slightest trace of spotting. It may be men- 
tioned that this species of cowry is of a long narrow 
shape, and it would seem, for two reasons, probable that 
that is the primitive form of cowries, the short and broad 
shape being a later modification. One of the reasons in 
favour of this view is that almost all cowries which retain 
the primitive banding in the adult condition are of the long 
form. Among such may be mentioned the little wasp 
cowry, the mole cowry (C. ¢a/pa), remarkable for its tawny 
back and dark brown base, and one variety of the carnelian 
cowry (C. carneola), as well as the orange-tipped cowry 
(C. isaéella). Again, in the true Argus cowry, which 
develops peculiar ringed spots in the adult condition, the 
primitive bands are still more or less distinctly traceable 
at all ages. 
To exemplify the second reason for the same view, we 
may take the serpent’s-head cowry. Here we see the 
short round type in its full development, the coloration 
being chocolate-brown above and below, with the central 
area of the back finely spotted with white. If, however, 
we take a young individual of this species, it will be noticed 
that the shape of the shell is comparatively long and 
narrow, while the colouring is in the form of bands. 
Many other instances might be cited, but the foregoing are 
sufficient for my present purpose. 
I may accordingly pass on to notice briefly some of the 
more striking types of coloration presented by adult cowries. 
Banded cowries have been already mentioned, but it may 
be added that, from the intensity of the colours, the wasp 
cowry is not improbably the culmination of this type. 
On the other hand, in the flesh-coloured carnelian cowry, 
