328 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XI, July, 1957 
Cloud on the intertidal lagoon shore of Uliga 
Island, Majuro Atoll. 
geographic range: According to USNM 
records and published reports, distributed 
from Madagascar and Mauritius, eastward 
through the Indian and Pacific oceans to the 
Society, Tuamotu, and Marquesas islands; 
and from southern Japan, the Mariana and 
Marshall islands, south to northern Australia 
and New Caledonia. Uncommon in Micro- 
nesia and not reported from Hawaii. 
Conus flavidus Lamarck, 1810. 
Tinker (1952) p. 38, 2 figs, on p. 39; Morris 
(1952) p. 204, col. pi. 7, fig. 6. 
Characteristically 1 to 2.5 inches long. Re- 
sembles C. lividus with its purple aperture and 
medial white apertural band, but may be dis- 
tinguished from that species by its smooth, 
noncoronate spire. 
Ordinarily lives on seaward reef flats, 
among rocks near or slightly below low tide, 
line, or in intertidal pools. Also taken in 
surge channels through the edge of seaward 
reefs and on lagoon reef flats. Apparently 
most abundant along windward shores. 
geographic range: USNM collections 
and published reports indicate this common 
Indo-Pacific species to be distributed from 
the east African coast (including the Red Sea 
and Persian Gulf) eastward through the In- 
dian and Pacific oceans to the Society, Tua- 
motu, and Marquesas islands; and from 
southern Japan and Hawaii south to northern 
Australia and New Caledonia. One of the 
most common cones in Hawaii. 
Conus imperialis Linne, 1758. 
Hirase and Taki (1951) pi. 113, fig. 9; 
Tinker (1952) p. 32, 2 figs, on p. 33; 
Morris (1952) p. 199, col. pi. 7, fig. 5; 
Kira (1955) pi. 36, fig. 8. 
Characteristically 2 to 3.75 inches long. 
Ordinarily found among rocks near low 
tide line on windward ocean reef flats. Also 
taken from surge channels through the edge 
of seaward reefs. Not reported from lagoon 
shores. 
GEOGRAPHIC range: According to USNM 
collections and published reports, distributed 
from Mauritius eastward through the Indian 
and Pacific oceans to the Tuamotu and Mar- 
quesas islands, and from southern Japan and 
Hawaii south to northern Australia and New 
Caledonia. Uncommon in Micronesia. 
Conus leopardus (Roding, 1798) (syn. mille- 
punctatus Lamarck, 1822). 
Tinker (1952) p. 30, 3 figs, on p. 31 [as 
C. litter atus\. 
Characteristically 2.5 to 6.5 inches long. 
See C. litteratus for further description. 
Three live specimens were taken at Bikini 
Atoll, two on the lagoon reef flat, below low 
tide line, and one on the sandy lagoon floor 
at a depth of 10 feet. 
geographic range: Because this species 
has been confused with C. litteratus , the range 
here is based only on specimens in the USNM 
collections. They indicate that C. leopardus is 
distributed from Mauritius in the Indian 
Ocean eastward through the Pacific to the 
Society and Marquesas islands, and from the 
Ryukyu and Hawaiian islands south to the 
Celebes and New Caledonia. It is apparently 
uncommon in Micronesia. 
Conus litteratus Linne, 1758. 
Hirase and Taki (1951) pi. 113, fig. 16. 
Characteristically 2.5 to 5 inches long. C. 
litteratus and C. leopardus are commonly con- 
fused. Both are white with dark brown spots, 
but they differ in the appearance of the basal 
portion of their apertures. The tip of C. leo- 
pardus is truncated and white within, whereas 
that of C. litteratus is nointed and dark purple- 
brown within. 
The recent Micronesian collections include 
only one group of individuals found living 
among small reefs in 3 to 4 feet of water on 
the sandy lagoon shelf at Ifaluk. These reefs 
are never out of water, even at low tide. 
GEOGRAPHIC range: USNM collections 
and published records indicate distribution 
from the east African coast (including the 
