36 
CYPRUS A. COWRY. 
In most specimens there may be also observed a slight 
tendency to protrusion at the more obtuse end or crown, 
which in some forms a very visible point, or, as it were, the 
incipient rudiment of a spire; and in the smooth variety, 
the faint lines of two volutions may be evidently discovered, 
which in the still more transparent C. bullata of Montagu 
are elongated into manifest spires : length about half an 
inch. 
The following are the known British varieties: thefo ? 
reign one, with the groove down the hack, we can only , 
consider as a variety. 
A. strongly ribbed, with from two to four colored spots 
on the back. v. v. 
B. smaller, ribbed, and without spots, v. v. 
Cyprsea arctica. Lister, pi. 707- f. 57— Pennant , pi. /3, 
uppermost fig .—Dorset Cat. pi. 22. f. 6. 
C. smooth, white, polished, much smaller, semitranspa¬ 
rent, with clear transparent lines in the place of the ribs. 
v. 771. 
These are found in the West of Ireland, and, except for 
the highly polished surface, appear to be worn down. 
D. Very thin and semitransparent, glossy white or with 
a pale purplish tinge, sometimes faintly striate halfway 
from the back to the inner lip, the other half with ex¬ 
tremely thin longitudinal strise; the outer-lip not thickened 
at the edge which is finely erenate; inner-lip faintly 
toothed: crown slightly produced, and forming two or 
three small volutions, v. m. 
For this rare and beautiful variety, which from its size, 
apparent volutions, and general appearance, may creates 
reasonable suspicion of its being a distinct species, but it 
at present considered as merely a young and informed 
shell, we are indebted to Miss Lawless of Dublin, a natu. 
ralist of rare and excellent discrimination and industry, 
who in a single excursion on the celebrated strand pf Pott* 
xnamock has been know*! to collect more than a bundled 
different species. 
Cyprsea bullata. Montagu, pi. 6. f. 1. 
DENTALIUM. 
