Zoological Illustrations Volume I Part 27

Wings brown; anterior with two darker obscure bands, and a terminal blackish dot; middle of the posterior wings, and three lateral spots on the body, orange.

This genus was inst.i.tuted by Scopoli many years ago, and differs princ.i.p.ally from _Sesia_ by having opaque wings, and from _Thyreus_ by the very great difference in the construction of their antennae. Many exotic species are known, but only one is found in Europe (_Sphinx stellatarum_ of Linn.), which likewise inhabits our own country, and to which this our insect is very nearly allied.

Though by no means uncommon in collections, I cannot find this species either figured or described, nor indeed am acquainted with its locality.

The under figure is of the male; the upper of the female; which differs only in the wings being rather broader, and in having one segment in the body less than in the other s.e.x.

Pl. 65

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CONUS Augur.

_Girdled Cone._

GENERIC CHARACTER.

_Testa univalvis, turbinata, s. inverse conica, convoluta; apertura longitudinalis, angustata, edentata; basi effusa; spira brevissima._

Typus Genericus _Conus marmoratus_, &c. Linn.

Sh.e.l.l univalve, turbinated, inversely conic, convolute; aperture longitudinal, narrow, not toothed; base effuse; spire very short.

Generic Type _Conus marmoratus_, &c.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_C. testa glabra, fulvo-albida, fasciis latis nigro-castaneis, lineisque transversis punctatis; spira obtusa, convexa, striata, depressa._

Sh.e.l.l smooth, fulvous-white, with broad dark chesnut bands and transverse lines of dots; spire obtuse, convex, striated, depressed.

C. augur. _Lamarck Annal. Mus._ xv. 277. _Encycl. Meth._ 333. 6.

Conus magus. _Gmelin_ 3392. 57. _Martini_ ii. 58. 641.

The Girdled Cone is conspicuous among the beautiful sh.e.l.ls of this extensive family, by the broad and rich chesnut bands, which are either two or three in number, and more or less broken into spots; in high-coloured sh.e.l.ls the minute lines of dots between them are also of the same colour.

It is not a common species, and inhabits the Asiatic ocean.

This is the _Conus Magus_ of Gmelin and Martini, and of our sale catalogues: this error has originated from Gmelin having described two distinct sh.e.l.ls, _C. Augur_ and _C. Magus_, under the latter name.

I have not referred to Lister's figure 755. 7, being doubtful of its affinity; and those of Martini and Bruguieres are very bad.

Pl. 66

[Ill.u.s.tration]

MITRA lugubris.

_White-banded Mitre._

GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 23.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_M. testa inverse pyriformi, fusca; sulcis transversis intus punctatis; anfractibus superne obsolete plicatis, fasciaque alba ornatis; labio exteriore tenui, margine crenata; columella 4-plicata; basi alba, truncata._

Sh.e.l.l inversely pear-shaped, brown, with transverse sulcated grooves, punctured within; volutions above obsoletely plaited and banded with white; outer-lip thin, margin crenated; pillar four-plaited; base white, truncated.

We have had much difficulty in the investigation of this species: for its characters cannot be reconciled with any of those contained in Lamarck's Monograph of the genus in the _Annales du Museum_. With regard to the unnamed figures in the old authors, it bears the closest resemblance to that of _Gualtieri_, tab. 32. G, which Lamarck quotes for his _M. crocata_; but then his description is not at all applicable to our sh.e.l.l; and Mr.

Dillwyn's synonyms of the Linnean _V. nodulosa_ (where he has also included _M. crocata_), we are satisfied comprises two or even three distinct sh.e.l.ls.

This was named by Dr. Solander from the specimen in Mr. G. Humphrys's collection here figured: it is exceedingly rare, and its locality unknown.

In form it resembles a _Buccinum_; the transverse grooves are broad, strongly defined, and have large and deep excavated dots within them; the upper part of each whorl has an appearance of irregular plaits, which makes the suture uneven, and takes off something from the smoothness of the lower part of the whorls, but the sh.e.l.l is in no way granulated.

MITRA ferruginea.

_Thick-lipped Mitre._

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_M. testa nubila, maculisque ferrugineis interstincta; costis transversis, elevatis; labio exteriore cra.s.so, obtuse crenato; columella 4-plicata._

Sh.e.l.l clouded and spotted with ferrugineous, with transverse elevated ribs; outer lip thick, obtusely crenated; pillar four-plaited.

M. ferruginea. _Lam. Ann. du Mus. vol._ 17. _p._ 200.