144 



Latirus murrayanus, Tate (sp.). 



1888. Peristcriria tmirrayana, Tate, Trans. Eoy. Soc. South Aiist. vol. x. 



p. 155. 



1889. Peristernia murrayana, Tate, id. vol. xi. p. 117, pi. iv. fig. 4. 



1893. Peristernia murrayana, Tate and Dennant, id. vol. xvii. pt. 1, p. 219. 

 1896. Peristernia murrayana var. costata, Pritchard, Proc. Eoy. Soc. Vict, 

 vol. viii. N.s. p. 87, pi. ii. fig. 4. 



Spire more elevated than in L. approximans ; whorls obtusely 

 costate, nodose at the periphery, and spirally lincate ; aperture 

 rounded; outer lip rather thick, faintly Urate within, and having 

 a prominent denticle in front ; columella concave, carrying a bold 

 plait juxtaposed to the denticle referred to, and two or three 

 smaller plaits or elongate tubercles behind ; canal rather long 

 and bent. 



Its nearest ally is L. morundianus, Tate (not represented in the 

 Museum collection), which, however, is much larger; whilst the 

 whorls more rapidly increase in L. murrayanus, its tubercles are 

 relatively smaller and are trisected. The protoconch of the present 

 species (Plate V. Figs. 6a-i) is large, convex, composed of two 

 and a half turns, the earlier portion being oblique with reference 

 to the axis of the shell, the later part bearing longitudinal striae ; 

 the shell in the brephic stage is boldly, longitudinally costate and 

 spirally lineate. 



Conchologically L. murrayanus resembles "Murex^^ (ife^-, Gmelin, 

 the type of the genus Afer, Conrad ' ; whilst it also has some 

 affinities with " Tudicla " porphyrostoma, Adams and E-eeve, the 

 type of the genus Streptosiphon, Gill,^ which the present writer 

 believes to be synonymous with Afer. The claims of the term 

 Streptosiphon to priority do not appear to rest on very secure 

 grounds. Fischer' admits that Afer is synonymous, but retains 

 the name Streptosiphon, as Conrad did not define Afer. As Tryon * 

 says, although Conrad did not describe his genus, he made Murex 

 afer (or Fusus afer), Gmelin, the type of it; from which it is not 



1 Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. n.s. vol. iii. 1858, p. 332. 



2 Amer. Journ. Conch, vol. iii. 1867, p. 162. 



3 Manuel de Conchyl. 1884, p. 619. 



* Manual of Couchology, 1881, vol. iii. p. 69. 



