Cones. MOLLUSCA. Auger-shells. ‘ 62 1 
sometimes a little curved, and always notched at its 
upper extremity, and the inner lip is marked with a 
few elevated stria on its anterior termination. In 
general the shell of the Cones is thick and solid, and 
is covered with a thick tenacious epidermis ; a covering, 
however, seldom seen on Cones in cabinets, as the 
dealers generally take great pains to remove it in 
order to show the fine polish and the beautiful colours 
underneath. 
There are few genera of shells more rich in the 
number of species than that of the Cones, and no one 
rivals it in rare and expensive objects for the cabinet. 
There is none in which the colours are more diversified, 
or in which the form appears to have so much constancy 
and uniformity ; two peculiarities which have always 
rendered the distinction of species very difficult. The 
species are found in southern and tropical seas for the 
most part, ranging northwards, however, as far as the 
Mediterranean, and southwards to the Cape of Good 
Hope. They become more numerous and more varied 
in their colours, as we approach the equatorial seas, 
and they form bright and beautiful ornaments to the 
shores of tropical islands. They seem to prefer obscure 
holes in the rocks, where they lead a predatory life, 
boring into the substance of shells of other molluscs 
for the purpose of sucking the juice from their bodies. 
They crawl but slowly, and usually with their tenta- 
cles extended in a straight line before them. They are 
very timid, and shrink within the shells quickly on the 
approach of danger. — (Adams.) As we have already 
mentioned, on the other page, some of the species have 
been found to bite severely when incautiously handled. 
Mr. A. Adams, in the voyage of the Samarang, had an 
opportunity of witnessing the fact. Speaking of the 
animal of Conus aulicus, “ its bite,” he says, “ pro- 
duces a venomed wound, accompanied bj’’ acute pain, 
and making a small, deep, triangular mark, which is 
succeeded by a watery vesicle. At the little island of 
Mayo, one of the Moluccas, near Ternate, Sir E. Belcher 
was bitten by one of these Cones, which suddenly exserted 
its proboscis as he took it out of the v/ater with his 
hand, and he compares the sensation he experienced 
to that produced by the burning of phosphorus under 
the skin.” 
Extravagant prices have been given, at various 
times, for individual specimens of Cones. The Peer- 
less Cone, C. cedo-mdli—fig. 212 a — is one of these, and 
though not so rare as it was some time ago, is still 
much prized by collectors and amateurs. Some of the 
varieties of this shell are exceeding beautiful. Another 
species which formerly commanded a high price, is the 
Admiral Cone, C. ammiralis. In Holland a single 
specimen of this handsome Cone has fetched the large 
sum of five hundred florins. But perhaps the largest 
sum given for a single individual shell, is that paid for 
the Conus gloria-maris, or the Glory of the sea, now 
in the fine collection of Cones in the British Museum. 
This beautiful Cone was at one time the gem of the 
collection of the late Earl of Tankerville. At the sale 
of this nobleman’s museum in 1825, this shell was sold 
for the large sum of one hundred guineas ! The late 
lamented Mr. Broderip informed the writer of this, 
that having vowed he would never give such a large 
VoL. II. 97 
sum as £100 for anj' shell, and yet being exceedingly 
desirous to possess this treasure, laid down before the 
late Mr. G. B. Sowerby, who had the sale of the col- 
lection, £99 19s. 6d. ! but was refused. It realized 
Fig. 212. 
Conus cedo-nulli— a, shell ; J, operculum ; c, animal. 
one hundred guineas ; but the person who became the 
happy possessor of the coveted prize, a few years 
afterwards became bankrupt; his collection was brought 
to the hammer, and the same shell was then purchased 
by Mr. Broderip for _£50. Mr. Broderip’s entire col- 
lection, some years after that, became the property of 
the nation, and this beautifid Cone, of which it formed 
a chief gem, is now in the British Museum. We are 
not aware that the animals of any of the Cones have 
been anywhere used as food, except in China. Osbeck 
informs us, in his “ Voyage to China,” that the animal 
of the Chinese Cone, Conus Chinensis, is put into water, 
and sold in every street in Canton by the name of 
Ha-in-yo. 
Family II. — ACUSIDHH (Auger-shells). 
The family of Auger-shells (forming the genus 
Terebra of Lamarck, the family AcusidjE of Gray), 
though differing considerably in the form of the shell 
from that of the Cones, resemble in many respects the 
animal of that genus. The mantle is entire, the siphon 
elongate and recurved, the foot is small and compressed, 
and the teeth which are implanted in the fleshy pro- 
boscis are elongate, swollen at the base, and denticulated 
as in those of Conus. The operculum is annulai'. 
The shell, however, is turreted, elongate, pointed, and 
has a very long spire. The animals of many species 
are nearly blind, or if they have eyes, these organs are 
exceedingly minute and placed near or on the top of 
the very small, short tentacles. The mouth is exposed 
and not surrounded by a rostrum-like veil. The 
aperture of the shell is ovate, short, and notched in 
front ; the inner lip is rather concave, and the outer is 
thin. The canal is short and recurved. The species 
are numerous. They live only below high water mark, 
and are mostly inhabitants of tropical seas. Only one 
species has been found as far north as the Mediterranean, 
the rest being found in India, China, and West America. 
THE SPOTTED AUGER (Terebra maculatu) is the 
best example of the family Amsidae. It is the largest 
