Hi James,
 
         While the photo in Compendium doesn't quite match, don't be
surprised by this.  Almost any given species of Conus is variable in
pattern.  My color picture in "Shells of Hawai'i" by Kay & Schoenberg-Dole
matches your description of your specimen.  The photo in "Hawaiian Marine
Shells" by Kay also matches your description.  Here is the verbatim
description from Kay's book:
         Length 40mm; diameter 22mm.  Shell: shoulder smooth and rounded;
last whorl thick and solid; reticulated with orange-brown interrupted by
large and small triangular white marks.  Spire: elevated, acuminate.
Sculpture: spire striate; last whorl axially striate becoming grooved at the
base.  Aperture: with almost parallel sides.  Color: orange and brown with
large and small triangular white markings arranged as scales, and axial
bands of chocolate and orange which are usually interrupted forming two
transverse bands; apex pink; aperture white or pale pink.  Periostracum
thin, pale yellow, translucent.
 
Hope this helps.
John
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: James M Cheshire <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Saturday, January 23, 1999 2:16 AM
Subject: Re: Unknown cone
 
 
>Dear all, the cone is 44mm in length and it does indeed resemble a
>C.retifer, but, according to compendium of seashells, it lacks vertical
>brown
>bands and the triangles, in some areas, are quite large. It has almost
>exactly
>the same shape as the retifer in the compendium. What it also lacks is
>spiral grooves
>seen on the anterior of the shell in the compendium. I have no other
>photo of a retifer. If
>anybody has a few, please send them to: [log in to unmask]
>
>If I ever had the honor to name and describe a cone species,
>I would call it the ice cream cone! Kind Regards James
>
>___________________________________________________________________
>You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
>Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html
>or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
>