170 



Family MURICID^. 



Genus TYPHIS, Montfort. 

 [Conch. Syst. vol. u. 1810, pp. 614, 615.] 



Shell generally small, muriciform ; spire elevated ; varices spinose 

 or tubulose ; between the varices on the posterior part of the 

 ■whorls, in the neighbourhood of the suture, there is commonly 

 a more or less salient tubule ; aperture oval or circular, peristome 

 continuous in typical species ; canal short, closed. 



Type. — Murex tubifer, Bruguiere. 



Typhis maccoyi, Tenison-Woods. 



1876. Typhis maccoyii, Temsoii-"Woods, Pap. Eoy. Soc. Tas. 1875, p. 22, 



pi. i. fig. 5. 

 Typhis hebetatus, Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst. vol. ix. pi. xvi. fig. 1. 

 Typhis maccoyi, E. Etheridge, jun., Cat. Aust. Foss. p. 170. 

 Typhis maccoyi, Tate, Trans. Eoy. Soc. South Aust. vol. x. pp. 91, 92. 

 Typhis maccoyi, Johnston, Geol. Tasmania, p. 237, pi. xxix. fig. 11. 

 Typhis maccoyi, Tate and Dennant, Trans. Eoy. Soc. South Aust. 



vol. xvii. pt. 1, p. 218. 

 Typhis maccoyi, Pritchard, Proc. Eoy. Soc. Vict. vol. viii. n.s. p. 79. 



1877 

 1878 



1888 

 1893 



This species has considerable analogy with T. pungens, Solander, 

 of the European Eocene, and young specimens ai-e not readily 

 dilFerentiated at a cursory glance. The protoconch, however, is 

 very different : in T. maccoyi it consists of two smooth turns, 

 the earlier portion being implanted obliquely with reference to 

 the axis of the shell ; whereas in T. pungens the three smooth 

 turns are elevated and rise to a sharp erect point. Further, the 

 Australian species is relatively broader, and the spines and tubes 

 ai"e not curved in the manner peculiar to tlie European species. 

 Young specimens resemble T. tuhifer, Bruguiere, of the Middle 

 Eocene of the Paris Basin, but that species is longer, less spinose, 

 and the protoconch is much more erect. 



Dimensions. — Length 18'5 mm. ; breadth 16 mm.; length of 

 aperture 6 mm. 



Form, and Loc. — Eocene : Spring Creek, Victoria. 



G. 9379. Examples of the neanic and ephebic stages of growth. 



Purchased. 



