DESCRIPTION. 169 



Inhabits Tranquebar and Ceylon. 



It is without any hesitation that this species is 

 transferred from Voluta to Murex. The outhne of 

 the aperture is so absolutely characteristic of the 

 latter, that it neutralises the claim of the toothed 

 columella, which is not confined to the former. 

 The teeth are nearly horizontal, and not oblique, 

 as is usual in Voluta. No species can better illus- 

 trate the plaited section which has been proposed 

 in the description of the genus Murex, than this, 

 which possesses no property in common with its 

 present congeners but its teeth. The specific name 

 is changed from Pyrum to dentatus, because there 

 is already a Murex Pyrum. 



Fig. 3. Helix distorta. 



Shell solid, subumbilicate, striate, distorted, 

 obtuse at the apex ; body gibbous ; aperture com- 

 pressed, lunate. 



Chemn. Conch. 5. Tab. 160. Fig. 1513. a. b. 



Specimen white, polished ; striae oblique and 

 curved ; margin of the aperture thickened ; last 

 whorl produced into an obtuse projection on the 

 right side. 



