CRITICAL NOTES ON THE MURICIDAE.* 



Frank Collins Baker. 



During the past three years a large number of specimens of 

 this family have passed through the writer's hands, and he 

 has had the opportunity of examining a number of large col- 

 lections of shells which included a goodly number of this most 

 interesting family. From the trouble and labor in identify- 

 ing these collections, the following critical remarks concerning 

 the synonymy and classification have seemed necessary. 



Family MURICIDAE. 



Subfamily MURICINAE. 



Genus Murex Linne. 



Subgenus Murex (sensu stricto). 



The following sections have been proposed t but can not stand, 

 smce the characters are not constant and fade imperceptibly 

 into each other. The shells of the different subgenera of 

 Murices cannot be used as characters upon which to found 

 stable sectional characters. It is barely possible that a study 

 of the animaLs miuht bring to light some definite diagnoses: 

 Acupurpura, Bayle, 1880 (t3'pe M. ienuisjnna Lam.); Tubi- 

 cauda, Jouss, 1880 (type M. hrevispina Lam.). 



Murex occa Sowb. 



Murex occa Sowb., Zool. Proc, p. 137, 1840. Couch. 111., fl;;. 45. 

 Various authors have considered this species a synonym of 

 Murex scolopax, Dillwyn. I have seen several undoubtedly 



* Presented in abstract, May 17, 1897. 

 t See Fischer, Manuel de Conchyliologie, pp. 638-64:9. 



