Cones, Volutes, Mitres, and Olives. 65 



one, the Gonus cedo nulli, which may be translated, 

 the Cone second to none, has fetched the enormous 

 sum of three hundred guineas. It must not be 

 supposed that these shells exhibit all their beauties 

 when, inhabited by a carnivorous or flesh-eating 

 mollusk, they move slowly about, or lie for a time 

 motionless among the rocks and sand-beds of the 

 ocean. The before-mentioned epidermis, which is 

 the Latin for the outer skin of the human body, 

 covers them like a cloak or mantle, which is the 

 name it bears among naturalists. Much careful 

 labour is required to bring them to a fit state for 

 cabinet shells. 



Volutes form an extensive family of shells under 

 the name Volutince. The greater part are natives of 

 tropical seas, and dwell far down, so that they are 

 seldom found on the coast, except after storms. 

 There are a few European species, but these are 

 not remarkable for beauty, as most of the others 

 are. The generic name signifies twisted, or rather 

 wreathed, as flowers or leaves might be, about 

 some central object. In these shells the spire is 

 generally short, as it is in many cones, sometimes 

 scarcely apparent ; the form is usually elegant, and 

 the markings often striking and handsome. On 

 Plate V. will be found three examples — Fig. 3 is 



