FAMILY PURPURID^E PYRULA. 141 



Pyrula CARICA. 



PLATE IX. FIG. 192. Adult. — FIG. 193. Yocno. 



Murex carica. LlN. Gmel. 3545. 



Pyrtdaid. Lam. An. sans vert. Vol. 7. p. 138. 



P. id. Adams, Bost. Journ. Nut. Hist. Vol. 2, p. 271. 



P. id. Godld, Invertcbrata of Mass. p. 206. 



Description. Adult shell, large, ponderous : spire moderately elevated, acute. Whorls 

 six, nearly plane or subconcave above, with numerous minute revolving striae ; the three 

 lower volutions with a series of distinct triangular tubercles near the suture : those on the 

 body-whorl nine in number, gradually enlarging to the edge of the outer lip ; on the apicial 

 whorls, obsolete : incremental lines on the body whorl coarse. Columella concave, with a 

 polished callus : aperture oval ; lip arched, dilated ; canal rounded, slightly emarginate. 



Color : Epidermis soiled brownish, agglutinating ; within dull orange. 



Young shell. Spire more elevated : body-whorl furnished rather with spines than tubercles, 

 which may be traced as far up as the fourth whorl ; revolving stria? more distinct, particularly 

 on the lower part of the body-whorl, and may be traced on the callus above the fold ; the 

 fold on the pillar-lip very distinct, subangular beneath ; extremity of the canal rounded ; 

 aperture irregularly oval, angular above. Color, varied with brownish red and white, the 

 reddish spots most apparent near the sutures : a broad light greyish revolving band on the 

 upper portion of the body-whorl ; a similar, but narrower, interrupted and obsolete band 

 beneath ; within varied with brownish red and grey. 



Length of adult, 6"0 - 8'0 ; of aperture and canal, 4 - 8 - 5 "5. 



Length of young, 2 - - 4'0. 



This shell, as is apparent from the description given above, varies very much in different 

 stages of its growth. It is very common, and the largest of the convoluted shells found on 

 our coast, extending from the shores of the Southern States to Cape Cod. It is sold in our 

 markets as an article of food, at the rate of a dollar a hundred ; but is coarse, and of a strong 

 flavor. 



