MURICIDAE 155 



spire with two spiral cords at periphery, upper cord at shoulder of 

 whorl; four spiral cords on body whorl, four below in more oblique 

 spiral; revolving sculpture overlays longitudinal ribs; on body whorl 

 cords expand into plicate lamellar varices at outer aperture and on 

 columellar sides of whorls; rudimentary development of varices on 

 penultimate whorl; aperture small, oval, interior white-banded dark 

 brown; outer lip bordered by expanded white varix; five small 

 tubercles at base of varix; operculum brown. 



One living specimen dredged in six fathoms oflF Redfish Pass, 

 Lee County, Florida. 



Subgenus FAYARTIA Jousseaume, 1880 

 Jlurex eelliilosus-s- Conrad PI. 31, fig. 217 



Alt., up to 22 mm. White, sometimes brown about ribs, thick 

 epidermis; spire sharp, live whorls, about one-third of entire height; 

 body whorl fairly large, sutures well defined; prominent, angular 

 axial ribs, five on body whorl; two strong revolving ribs on each 

 whorl of spire; six on body whorl, interspaces cancellated by longi- 

 tudinal threads; revolving sculpture overlaps longitudinal ribs; aper- 

 ture oval, prolonged into short backward curving nearly closed canal, 

 interior purplish; outer lip thin, crenulate; heavy varix immediately 

 interior. Each varix on body whorl terminates in a former recurved 

 canal, in fully adult and perfect shells four canals of an earlier period 

 of growth are evident at base of shell; operculum brown. 



Dredged in two to six fathoms. Occasional specimens in inside 

 waters. 



Genus MURICOPSLS Bucquoy, Dautzenberg and Dollfus, 1882 

 Muricopsis ostrearum^ss (Conrad) PI. 31, fig. 218 



Alt., up to 30 mm. Shell purplish, light sutural band, edges of 

 revolving cords white; brownish epidermis; spire of five increasingly 

 larger, well-shouldered whorls; body whorl not disproportionately 

 large, sutures distinct; six to nine axial ribs; whorls of spire with 

 two spiral cords, one at shoulder, nodulous at crossing of varices, 

 one below, equidistant between shoulder and suture; body whorl 



-S- Lat., cellula, a little cell. 



283 Lat., murex, the purple shellfish; Ops, Goddess of abundance; ostrearum, 

 of oysters. 



