MUREX. 727 



Muiex antiquus. Pennant, iv. p. 1£4. Donovan, iv. t. 



1 19. Montagu Test. p. 257. 

 Martini, iv. t. 1:58. f. 1293 and 1296. 



Inhabits the coasts of Britain. Pennant, S^c. 



Martini has ai ranged the Linnaean M. antiquus and M. despec- 

 tus as varieties, and considered the shells which have since 

 been called M. suhantiqnatus by English authors, and M. 

 fornicatus by Fabricius, to be the same species. Montagu, 

 at p. 1 12 of his Supplement, expresses considerable doubt 

 on this subject, and 1 confess my inability to find any perma- 

 nent character by which the present shell can be distinguish- 

 ed from either M. fornicatus or M. despecius; it is said to 

 have the upper part of the whirls more flattened, and sepa- 

 rated by a strongly keeled angulated ridge, with another 

 transverse rib below, and these sometimes crossed by angu- 

 lar longitudinal ridges ; but, as Mr. Montagu observes, it is 

 with the others ' closely connected by every shade of grada- 

 tion.' 



TRiTONis. 91. Shell ventricose, with alternate va- 

 rices, and the whirls creiiulated at the su- 

 tures ; inner lip grooved, and the beak short. 



Murex Trltonis. Linnaus Si/st, ^at. p. 1222, Martini, 

 iv. p. 113. t. 134. f. 1277, and t. 135. f. 1282 and 1283. 

 Born Mus.p. 315. Schroeter Einl. i. p. 525. Gmelin, 

 p. 3549. Schreibers Conch, i. p. 226. Shaw Nat. Misc. 

 xii. t. 479. 

 Bonanni Rec. and Kirch. 3. f. 188. Lister Conch, t. 959- 

 f. 12. Rumphius, t. 28. f. B, and No. 1. Petiver Gaz. 

 t. 151. f. 5, and Jmb. t. 12. f. 15. Gualter, t. 48. f. A. 

 Klein Ost. t. 7. f. 127. Knorr, ii. 1. 16. f. 2 and 3, and 

 V. t. 5. f. 1. Regenfuss, ii. t. 5. f. 46. Favanne, t. 31. 

 f. G 1, and G 2. 

 Inhabits the Archipelago, and coasts of America. Linnaus. 

 Barbadocs. Lister. Amboyna. Rumphius. Bay of Naples. 

 Uli/sses. 

 Shell a foot, or sometimes sixteen inches long, and about half 

 as broad, with smooth, slightly elevated, broad transverse 

 ribs, and the interstices striated ; the colour is whitish, or- 

 namented on the ribs with parallel curved reddish brown spots, 

 which are shaded off towards each other, and have some re- 

 semblance to the feathers of a bird ; the pillar-lip is grooved, 

 and striped with dark brown. I have left this shell in the 

 place which Linnasus has assigned it, but the varices indicate 

 L 2 



