MUREX. 



Plate IV. 



Species 16. (Mus. Cuming.) 



MuREX MAUKUS. Mur. testa, trigoiio-oblongd, utrinqiie 

 attennatd, crassiuscuM, ponderom, spird acuminato- 

 turritd; anfractibtis inter varices tmduloso-tiiberculatis, 

 transversim granuloso-Uratis et impresso-striatis, Uris 

 alternii majoril/us ; trifariam. varicosd, varicibus in- 

 crassatis, rotundatis, basem versus subobsolete frondosis, 

 frondibiis parvi-s, perpaucis ; ficsceseente, Uris nigri- 

 cautibits, labroj-um limbo rosea, labro externa denticu- 

 lato ; canali breviusculo. 



The moor Murex. Shell triangularly oblong, acumi- 

 nately tiuTeted at both ends ; whoris imdidatcly 

 tubei'cled between the varices, transversely granu- 

 lously ridged and impressly striated, alternate ridges 

 the larger ; thi'ee-varicose, varices thickened, rounded, 

 somewhat obsoletely frondose towards the base, 

 fronds small, veiy few in number ; pale brown, ridges 

 blackish, edge of the colameUar and outer lips tinged 

 \rith rose, outer lip denticidated ; canal rather short. 



Broderip, Pro. Zool. Soc, 1832. 



Hab. Island of Annaa, Pacific Ocean (found on the reefs) ; 

 Cuming. 



M. Deshayes veiy properly reprimands M. Kiener for 

 asserting that the Murices maurus and rubescens Broderip, 

 are merely specimens of the Murex admtus in a bad state of 

 preservation. " Cela prouve," very tridy says the learned 

 editor of the ' Animaux sans vertebres,' " que M. Kiener 

 n'a pas eu sous les yeux ces espcces du natiiraUste anglais." 

 The Murex maurus has more the appearance of a stunted 

 immatiu'e Murex palmarasa than a Murex adustus, fi-om 

 which it differs too manifestly to render any comparison 

 necessary. 



Ml-. Cuming and Miss Saul both possess specimens of 

 the Murex ruaurus m the finest possible condition, and I 

 feel much pleasm'e in being enabled to add my testimony 

 to its specific importance. M. Kiener disposes in like man- 

 ner, of a vast nimiber of the many valuable and charac- 

 teristic new species of shells collected by Jlr. Cuming, 

 and described, from time to time, by Messrs. Broderip and 

 Sowerby, in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society,' 

 1833-42. 



Species 17. (Mus. Cuming.) 

 Murex oxyacaxtha. Mur. testa pyriformi, spird brevi, 



obtusd, suturis caveriwsis ; anfractibus transversim lira- 

 tis et itiipresso-striatis, Uris alternis minimis; nived, 

 spinis fmcescente tinctis ; aperturd parvd, rotundd ; 

 canali breviusculo, ad extremitatem recurvo. 



The sharp-spixed Murex. Shell pear-shaped, spii'e 

 short, obtuse, sutui'cs cavernous ; whorls transversely 

 ridged and impressly striated, alternate ridges very 

 small ; seven-varicose, varices spined tlu'oughout, 

 spines long, erect, canaliculated, alternate spines veiy 

 small ; snowy wliite, spines stained with pale brown, 

 apertm'e small, roimd ; canal rather short, recurved 

 at the extremity. 



Broderip, Pro. Zool. Soc, 1832. 



Hab. Eeal Llejos, Central America (fomid in sandy mud 

 at the depth of eight fathoms); Cuming. 



Each transverse ridge terminates upon the following 

 varix in a lofty erect canalicidatcd spine, the minute alter- 

 nate ridges termiuating in spines of the same proportion 

 of size. 



Miss Said possesses several specimens of a dwarf variety 

 of this species. 



Species IS. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Murex spinicostata. Mur. testd pyriformi, nunc oblongd, 

 nunc breviore, ventricosd ; anfractibus superne biangu- 

 latis, tramversim liratis et striatis, Uris minutis, an- 

 gmtis, subsuperficialibus; se-rfariam vel septifariam 

 varicosd, varicibus umUqiie spinosis, spinis canaUculatis, 

 stibcurvatis, duabus anticis angulos superantibus et dua- 

 bus tribusve basalibus, longioribus, mucronatis ; albd, 

 Uris riifo-fuacis, maculis parvis saturatiaribus lunidte- 

 formibus hie illic tinctis, aperturce fuuce albd, rubidu 

 sparsim maculatd ; canali subelongato, interdum bre- 

 viore, recurvo. 



The spine-ribbed Murex. SheU peai--shaped, sometimes 

 oblong, sometimes shorter and ventricose ; whorls 

 bi-angidated at the upper part, transversely ridged 

 and striated, ridges minute, narrow, rather superfi- 

 cial ; six- or seven-varicose, varices armed with frond- 

 like spines thi-oughout, spines canolicidated, slightly 

 curved, the basal and those upon the posterior angles, 

 longer, sharp-pointed ; white, ridges reddish brown, 

 stained here and there with small crescent-shaped 

 spots of a deeper colour, interior of the apertiu'e white. 



April 1843. 



