MUREX. 307 



(lake- white : pallial tube short : [proboscis 8-10 lines long 

 (Bouchard-Chantereaux) :] tentacles sometimes safironcolour, 

 slender, and tapering to a fine point ; they are nearly close 

 together at the base, and diverge at a right angle : eyes on 

 long stalks, which are united with the tentacles outside and 

 extend two-thirds of their length from the base : foot rather 

 small and narrow, rounded and double-edged in front with 

 short angular corners, bluntly pointed behind ; sole slightly 

 grooved down the middle : [gills very small, brownish (Bou- 

 chard- Chantereaux):]oc?(mfop7* ore cylindrical, rather long [cen- 

 tral tooth convex, keeled, projecting in the middle in front, 

 the angles extended behind, base curved and prominent, 

 cutting-edge finely notched in a groove-like manner on each 

 side, and having 3 crested points, the middle of which is larger 

 and expanded, grooved on the inner side ; lateral teeth having 

 a long claw-like hook (Loven)]. 



Shell conical, rugged, solid, opaque, of a rather dull hue : 

 sculpture, strong buttress-like longitudinal ribs, of which 

 there are 7 or 8 on the body-whorl, 8 or 9 on the next, and 

 one more (in a progressive ratio) on each of the preceding 

 whorls ; some of these ribs are varicose ; but there seems to be 

 no regularity in this respect, as the number probably depends 

 on the quick or slow growth of the individual ; there are also 

 several cord-like spiral ridges on all the whorls (except those 

 which form the apex), alternating in size, two on each of the 

 upper whorls being more prominent ; the surface is also covered 

 with small and close-set wavy plait-like striae, which are ar- 

 ranged in transverse rows of short vaulted scales on the lower 

 whorls, and give an imbricated or flounce-like aspect ; the 

 upper whorls are coarsely cancellated : colour yellowish-white, 

 sometimes mottled or streaked with reddish- or purplish-brown, 

 and the upper part of each whorl is now and then encircled 

 by a white or pale band : spire turreted, rather short ; apex 

 somewhat cylindrical, smooth and glossy, obliquely twisted 

 upwards : whorls 8-10, convex, but angulated, more or less 

 flattened at the top ; the last occupies three-fourths of the 

 shell : suture wide and deep, partly interrupted by the ribs : 

 mouth regularly oval, with the upper corner curved ; it is pro- 

 portionally larger and somewhat expanded in half-grown spe- 

 cimens ; length (exclusive of the canal) between one-third and 

 one-fourth that of the shell : canal open throughout in the 

 young, and in after growth becoming tubular except at the 

 base, in consequence of the overlapping on each side of the 



