^CONUS. 



polish^ and the shells tlius divested of their natural ap- 

 pearance, must be considered in a scientilic point of 

 view, as imperfect. If the persons employed to collect 

 shells, were aware iiow much the value of those which 

 have their epidermis is increased by retaining it, they 

 would gladly bring into the market a due proportion of 

 imsophisticated specimens. Our love of science would be 

 thus satisfied, and we should unreluctantly confess^, that no 

 Genus of Shells, when cleaned, can boast of more beauty^ 

 or of more splendour and variety of colouring, than that 

 under our consideration : for this reason, and in conse- 

 quence of their great rarity some of them are very highly 

 estimated; of these, the Gloria maris, the Omaicus, the 

 Aurisiacus, the Cedo-nuili, and a few others, may be 

 considered as the most valuable. 



Fossil cones are not unfrequent ; but, we believe, 

 that they occur only in the newer strata, or those above 

 the chalk, such as the London Clay and Crag in England, 

 the Calcaire grossiere in France, and the contempora- 

 neous beds in other countries : there are a few seen in 

 collections, filled with a coarse dark green arenaceous 

 substance ; these belong to the Terrains calcareo-trap- 

 peens of Brongniart. Doubtful casts are met with in the 

 inferior Oolite, according to Conybeare and Phillips. 



There is a circumstance relating to the animal which 

 we think worth mentioning, it is its habit of absorbing 

 the testaceous matter from the outside of the inner con- 

 cealed volutions, so that when a section of a cone is 

 made, the inner portions of shell remain exceedingly 

 thin, while the outer or exposed parts are comparatively 

 thick and strong. The animals of many other marine 

 shells have the same habit, but we are inclined to think 

 only those which have an operculum. 



The Cones, as we have already observed, may be 

 confounded with the Pleurotonice, and the young speci- 

 mens of some Strombi, and those cones vvhicliare rather 

 ventricose with young Cyprasse, but they may be distin- 

 guished in the following manner : from the Pleurotomje, 

 by their short spire, their linear aperture, and their 

 straight columella; from the young Strombi, by tlieir 

 being entirely destitute of varicose sutures, and by their 

 never liaving any appearance of a notch near the lower 

 extremity of the outer lip ; the young Strombi, moreoverj 



