212 



the Appendix to the Sale Catalogue of the Earl's collection 

 by G. B. Sowerby, F.L.S., in 1825. Only two specimens 

 were known — the type and one in the cabinet of Mr. 

 Sowerby. The type came into the possession of the British 

 Museum. Its habitat was unknown. He remarked its 

 resemblance to G. tigris, but in the Zoological Journal of 

 1826 indicated its diagnostics. 



The name G. umbilicata had been previously attached 

 to a shell by Solander, which Gray thinks was G. pyrum; but 

 as Solander 's name was only in manuscript, and was never 

 published, Sowerby's specific name stands. 



In 1828 Dr. Gray discussed it, and suggested that as 

 only one specimen was known it might be merely a mostrosity, 

 a deformed C. tigris; but if a good species, it should be placed 

 in his newly created genus Cyprovula. 



G. B. Sowerby replied that two specimens were known 

 which were quite alike ; this supported the probability of its 

 being a good species, allied rather to C. pantherina than to 

 C. tigris. 



In 1837, however, Mr. Sowerby, in his Conchological Illus- 

 trations, registered his species as a variety of G. pantherina, 

 Solander MSS., having evidently accepted the suggestion that 

 it was only a variant or a monstrosity of this variable and 

 well-known shell. 



Deshayes, in his 2nd Edition of Lamarck's Anim. S. 

 Verfc., 1844, enters it among the synonyms of C. tigrina, 

 Lamarck; and Reeve, in his Conch. Icon, of 1845, under 

 C. pantherina, Lamarck, says "C. umbilicata has been ack- 

 nowledged a monstrosity." 



This degradation of the species to the position of a 

 monstrosity was doubtless due to the peculiar deformed 

 appearance of the shell and to the fact that for more than 

 twenty years no other specimens had been found and its 

 habitat was still unknown. But in 1848 Mr. Roland Gunn 

 wrote to Dr. Gray about a collection of cowries he had found 

 on "the east shore of Barren Island, one of Hunter's islands, 

 north-west of Van Diemen Land," and he sent one fine speci- 

 men to the British Museum. This Dr. Gray recognized as 

 C. umbilicata, Sowerby, and placed definitely among his 

 Gyprovulce as "the giant of the genus," removed the reproach 

 of monstrosity from it, and established it as a true and very 

 remarkable species, the home of which had at last been dis- 

 covered. It immediately leaped into notoriety and became 

 valuable, for the second specimen sent to England by Mr. 

 Gunn realized the handsome sum of <£30 ; whereas in my 

 Tankerville Catalogue, in which have been written the prices 



