182 



This well-known shell of the Australian and Tasmanian Tertiary 

 is characterized by its erect, staged spire, by the frequent, long, 

 hollow spines which crown and terminate obtuse longitudinal ribs 

 at the periphery of the body- whorl, and by the free sloping 

 area, but slightly spirally lineated, between these spines and 

 the suture ; in front of the spines are bold, undulating, spiral 

 threads, passing over the broad longitudinal costas, and continuing 

 over the whole of the anterior portion of the body-whorl. The 

 aperture is large, ovate, well open in front ; outer margin thin, 

 curved ; columella excavated, covered by a thin plate of enamel, 

 which is detached anteriorly and causes a pseudo-umbilicus ; canal 

 slightly oblique, broad, of moderate length. 



The absence of conspicuous varices, the nature of the spiral 

 ornament, the bold threads in front of the prominent peripheral 

 spines, and their comparative absence beliind them, are very 

 distinctive. 



Dimensions. — Length 27'5 mm. ; breadth 16 mm. ; length of 

 aperture 10 mm. ; length of canal 7 mm. 



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



G. 4267. Two specimens. Presented ly John Dennant, Esq. 



G. 5518. Specimen of the adult, having a much enlarged 

 umbilicus, and broader whorls and wider aperture than in typical 

 examples of the species. Purchased. 



G. 9453. Examples illustrating stages of growth. Purchased. 



Murex (Muricidea) zelandicus, Quoy and Gaimard. 



1832. Murex zelandicus, Quoy and Gaimard, Voy. de I'Astrolabe, Zool. 



t. ii. p. 529, pi. XKxvi. figs. 5-7. 

 1845. Murex zelandicus, Reeve, Conch. Icon. iii. pi. xxxiv. fig. 177. 

 1873. Murex nova: zeelandim. Von Martens, List Moll. N Z. p. 17. 

 1873. Murex zealandxcus, Hutton, Cat. Marine Moll. N.Z. p. 7. 

 1873. Murex zealandicus, Hutton, Cat. Tert. Moll. N Z. p. 2. 

 1880. Murex zealandicus, Hutton, Man. N.Z. Moll. p. 46. 

 1880. Murex (Fhyllonotus) zelandicus, Tryon, Manual of Conchology, vol. ii. 



p. 108, pi. xxix. fig. 268. 

 1893. Murex neozelanicus, Hutton, Linn. Soc. N.S.W., Macleay Mem. Vol. 



p. 37. 



The canal and spines of this species are rather longer than in 

 typical examples of the subgenus j but it is a close ally of M. eyrei, 



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