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69. Spondylus multisetosus.
Reeve, Conch. Icon. fig. 11.
Hah. Philippine Islands {Cuming) ; Warrior lleef, Torres Straits
{Coppinger).
The principal ridges which support tho largest spines are about
twelve in number on the upper valve, pale or yellowish between the
spines, at the base of which they are stained with a dark sanguineous
colour. The interior of the valves is margined wnth purplish
brown, and the straight hiiige-liuo is finely striated within
transversely; the fiat hinge-aroa of the lower valve is also finely
striated across.
70. Spondylus victorise.
Sowerhy, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, p. 428, pi. 49. fig. 8.
Var. = Spondylus wi'ightiauus, Crosse, Journ. de (7owc7i.l872, vol. xx.
p. 360, vol. xxi. p. 253, pi. 9. figs. 1, la .
Hah. New Caledonia {AIus. Cuming); Flinders and Clairmont,
Islands N.E. Australia, l i fms., sand and mud bottom, and Port
MoUe, 10 fms. {Coppinger); Nichol Bay, Australia {Crosse fide
Wright).
The description of this species given by Sowerby is very insufficient,
and his locality, “ Gulf of California,” incorrect. He describes
the number of largecostse as fo u r; but as a rule there are five, which
eveu appear in his own figure.
In the lower or attached valve the number of largo spine-bearing
ridges in the three specimens before me is seven; these spines are
generaUy straighter than those on the upper valve, and channelled
on the upperside. Soiverhy’s figure exaggerates the wavy character
and breadth of the upper spines.
The surface of the valves and the hinge-area agree with Crosse's
description of the variety w r i g h t i a n u s , which has the spines on the
upper valve straighter, aud less spreading at the extremities. The
single specimen dredged by Dr. Coppinger has the spines of a pinkish-
buff colour, whilst those in the type are pure white.
71. Pecten leopardus.
Reeve, Conch. Icon. fig. 145.
Var. = Pecten kuhnholtzi, Bernurdi, Journ. de Conch. 186.3, vol. viii.
p. 378, pi. 13. fig. 1.
AAi’.=Pecten S o l a r i s , Soiverhy {non Born), Thes. Conch, pi. 12. fig. 22 ;
Hunker in Philippi’s Ahhild. vol. i. pi. 2. fig. 2; Beeve, Conch. Icon.
fig. 92.
Hah. Moreton Bay, Queensland {Reeve); Arafura Sea, Dundas
Strait {Coppinger) ; New Caledonia {Bernardi); Amboina {Danker,
for var. S o la r is ) .
I t is not surprising th a t M. Bernardi did not recognize his shell
in P. leopardus, considering how inadequate a description is given
by Beeve. I have carefully compared red-rayed specimens from
New Caledonia with the typo from Moreton Bay, and am convinced
th at they constitute but a single species. The sculpture is the same
in both, aud the blood-red stain within the valves of a crescent form,
leaving the centre and margin white, is present in adult specimens
of each, bub not always in the young. Tho only distinction appears
to ho a little variation of colouring on the upper valve, which in the
typical form is white, with the ridges stained and blotched with
“ fulvous rust,” whilst the variety has the costæ more uniformly
tinted with “ red ” or pinkish brown, some of them being much paler
than others ; hut I do not ever find them alternately white and red.
The darker ones are usually in pairs, but ju st on the right of the
centre three dark rays come together. In other words, the shell
may he described as having four rays, three of them tinting two adjacent
costæ each, the fourth covering three. This same distribution
of pale and darker rays holds good in the typical form and is faintly
indicated in Bceve’s figure ; and in tlie handsomer variety, P. S o la r is ,
the same peculiarity is met with and is well portrayed in Philippi’s
work. This charming form has the interior similarly stained with
blood-red as in the two other varieties. This cannot, I consider, be
the species described by Born as Ostrea S o la r is , which differs greatly
in form, especially with regard to the auricles. The ouly shell
having similar small ones, as far as I can discover, is P. s u p e r b u s ,
Sowerby ; this is not, however, “ orange ’’-coloured, has unequal
dorsal slopes, narrower costæ, and deeper grooves. Born’s figure,
however, is unreliable, for it represents a shell 40 millim. in length
from the hinge-line to the opposite margin, and nearly 42 millim.
across, whilst his measurements, given in the text, are—length
39 millim., width 3 0 | millim.
72. Pecten singaporinns.
Sowerhy, Thes. Conch, vol. i. p. 74, pi. 13. fig. 55, pi. 14. fig. 71 ;
Reeve, Conch. Icon. fig. 74.
Pecten pica, Beeve, Conch. Icon. figs. 115 a, h.
Pecten cumingii, Reeve, I. c. figs. 140 a, h.
Hab. Singapore {Soiub.) ; New Zealand {Beeve, for piica) ; Port
Curtis {Coppinger) ; Moreton Bay {Beeve, for cumingii).
I cannot discover any distinction between P. pica and this species.
The anterior auricle of the right valve is destitute of colour, and the
serrated margin beneath it is also white. P. cumi.ngii is a fine
groAvth of the same, having the peculiarities, above mentioned, but
with the costæ slightly stouter.
73. Pecten dringi,
Beeve, Conch. Icon. figs. 152 a, h.
Hah. Port Molle, Queensland, 14 fms. {Coppinger); Bathurst
Island, N.W. Australia {Beeve) ; Cape Capricorn, E. Australia
{Brit. AIus.).
Purplish and brownish-purple forms of this species appear to
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