173 



in Triplex species that undoubtedly full within the earlier 

 Ckicorem, Montfort, but there are others which are unquestionably 

 like the later Ptrronotm. Perry does not state the type of his 

 genus, but in a footnote he alludes to Mtirex frondosus, Linna3us, 

 and to the fossil Murex tripteris, Lamarck (J/, tripteroides), the 

 former possessing tlie essential characters of Chicoreus and the 

 latter of Pteronotus. If we take the first species mentioned 

 as the type of the subgenus, Triplex must fall in synonymy 

 with Chicoreus, that name having been proposed by Montfort ' 

 one year earlier ; but if, on the other hand, either If. tripteroides, 

 M. fiexuo&us, or M. pinnatus (which two last are both figured 

 and described by Perry under his genus) be selected, we are 

 enabled to retain Triplex. We are fortified, to some extent, in 

 so doing by referring to Humphrey's work, which, although it 

 cannot be accepted, as being a mere auctioneer's catalogue, enables 

 us to see what directed Perry in his definition of the genus. The 

 first recognizable species mentioned by Humphrey- under Triplex 

 is Murex triqueter, Born ; that occurs, apparently, in Perry's 

 description as Triplex flexuosa, and is here selected as the type 

 of the genus. 



Type. — Triplex Jlexuosa, Perry. 



Murex (Triplex) velificus, Tate. 



1888. Murex (Pteronotus) velificus, Tate, Trans. Eoy. Soc. South Aiist. vol. x. 



p. 95, pi. i. fig. 8. 

 1893. Murex velificus, Tate and Dennant, id. vol. xvii. pt. 1, p. 218. 



Shell very thin, elongate ; protoconch composed of one and 

 a half smooth turns, somewhat inflated at the commencement, 

 and microscopically longitudinally striated in the vicinity of the 

 first minute yarix, which appears to denote the beginning of the 

 brephic stage. The foliae of the three varices are extremely thin 

 and much spread out ; the posterior aspect of the projections are 

 covered, like the surface of the shell between them, with rather 

 large scaly punctures, and the irregular spiral ridges of the whorls 

 are prolonged also on to the aliform expansions posteriorly ; 



> Conch. Syst. t. ii. 1810, pp. 610, 611. 

 ' Mus. Calonnianum, 1797, p. 40. 



