872 



MURICID^. 



Fig- 638. A deep-water shell. Very large 



specimens, much worn, are occa- 

 sionally found upon Chelsea and 

 Phillips's Beaches ; along the coast 

 of Maine, and farther eastward, they 

 are not infrequent. The small va- 

 riety is found abundantly in fishes 

 caught in our harbor, though I have 

 never found it washed ashore. Nova 

 Scotia ( Willis) ; Eastport ( Coop- 

 er) ; St. Anne (Bell). 



1 formerly regarded the small 

 shells as the young, or a dwarf va- 

 riety of the tyjje, though Mr. Sow- 

 erby is rather disposed to regard 

 them as a good species. And I had 

 also regarded the Fusus ventricosus 

 as a variety abbreviatus of the same ; 

 but as I find it accurately described 

 by Dr. Gray, I have concluded to 

 follow him, since I can do it without 

 imposing any new name. The true 

 Murex cornens of Linnseus is said 

 to be the Fusus lig-narius of La- 

 marck. 



[Animal white, with small irreg- 

 ular specks of black ; eyes black ; foot rectangular, angles rounded. 



F. Islandlcus. 



Fusus pygmseus. 



Fig. 199. 



Shell not exceeding four fifths of an inch in length; whorls six, and preserving 

 the proportions of F. Mandicus. 



Fusus Tslandicus, var. pj/f/mcevs, Gould, Inv. 1st cd. 284, fig. 199. 

 Fusus pi/r/nuens, Stimpson, Check Lists, 6. 



Both Dr. Mighels and Prescott having assured me that F. pyg- 

 mcBus is distinct from F. Islandiciis, and having sent me specimens 

 of the latter of equal length with those of the former, I find their 

 opinion quite correct. F. p//sf-mfcus has at least two more whorls 

 than the young of F. Mandicus of equal length. The comparative 



