White-spot periwinkle (Littoraria pintado)

This species is not British. Instead it is found in the Caribbean. If it was found on British shores it could be an early eaxmple of alien species arriving on our shores - possibly in the ballast of ships. These shells have the operculum in place suggesting they were collected alive, which is unlike the majority of the exotic shells in the collection as most are worn and have some degree of incrustation upon them.

What is more curious still is that this species is not included in any of Montagu’s publications. The species was first formally described in 1828 by Wood (after Montagu's death). This is the only original label in the Montagu collection that bears a species name erected after the death of Montagu. There are a number of unpublished names on similar labels and one can only surmise that this is a manuscript name adopted at a later date by Wood.