Specimen Information

Latirus iris Lightfoot 1786-This species is not beautiful, nor is it rare, but it does exhibit a feature that has always fascinated me. It has an iridescent periostracum. It is also one of the species Thomas Martyn illustrated in his Universal Conchologist, one of my favourite books. It earns its place therein because it was one of the species collected during the voyages of Captain Cook, one of my favourite heroes. .