MUREX. 



Plate V. 



Species 21. (Fig. o, Mus. Cuming; Fig. b, Mus. Saul.) 



MuREX MONODON. Mur. testa ovalo-fiisiformi, fenui,spir(e 

 sutiiris excavato-iiiipressis ; aiifractibus transversim U- 

 rafk et driaiis ; trifariam varicosd, varicUms pulcher- 

 rmu frondosis, frondibm elongatis, eurvatis, pemiUimd 

 loiigisslmd^peridiaritfr rccurvd; riifesce>ite-fmcd, fron- 

 dibm nigricantihus, colunielld labrique Umbo rosaceis ; 

 cariali breviusculo ; labro infra medium dente valido 

 erecto inUructo. 



The single tooth Murex. Shell ovatek fusiform, thin, 

 sutures of the spire excavately impressed; whorls 

 transversely ridged and striated ; three-varicose, vari- 

 ces very beautifidly frondose, fronds elongated, curved, 

 the last but one from the base much the longest, and 

 peculiarly curved back ; reddish brown, fronds blackish, 

 colmnella and edge of the lip tinged with rose ; canal 

 rather short ; lip furnished just beneath the middle 

 with a strong raised tooth. 



Variety /S. (Fig. 11a.) 



Tesla alba, columella labrique Umbo iHvide coccineo-roseis. 

 Shell pure white, columella and edge of the outer lip bright 



scarlet rose. 

 SowERBY, Tankerville Catalogue, App. p. 19. 



Murex arauea, Blainville (Kiener). 

 Hah. Dupuch's Island, Torres Straits (found on the reefs 



at low water) ; Dring, H. M. S. Beagle. 



I have much pleasure in being enabled to illustrate the 

 varieties of this tine species, by two most magniiicent spe- 

 cimens from the c<ibinets of Mr. Cuming and Miss Saul ; 

 the one exhibiting the front structure, in the white variety, 

 with the delicate contrast of the pink lip and columella, 

 the other showinsr the graceful ciu'vatiire of the fronds, of 



which the lowest but one assumes such a remarkable spur- 

 like form. 



The Murices monodon and imperialis, though figured by 

 Martini in Ms Conchylien Cabinet, in the year 1777, were 

 unknown to Lamarck, whose monograph of the genus, in 

 the ' Animaux sans vertebres,' was not published until five 

 and forty years afterwards. 



Species 32. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Murex trunculus. Mur. tesld ovato-fuxiformi, subreii- 

 tricosd, spird angulato-turritd ; aufractibus tran-wersim. 

 impresso-striatis et obtuse noduliferis, superne angulati» ; 

 serfariam. varicosd, varicibus ad aiigulum mine obtmo- 

 nodosis, nunc squamato-iuberculatis ; purpureo-fnsco 

 alboque fasciatd ; canali brevi, compresso, recurvo ; 

 apertura fauce zonis purpureis et a Ibis vioide radiatu. 



The banded Murex. Shell ovately fusiform, slightly 

 ventricose, spire angularly turrcted ; whorls trans- 

 versely impressly striated, and obtusely nodiferous, 

 angulated at the upper part ; six-varicose, sometimes 

 obtusely nodose at the angle ; sometimes squamately 

 tubercled ; banded with purple-brown and white ; 

 canal short, compressed, recui'ved ; interior of the 

 aperture vividly rayed with purple and white zones. 



LiNN-^EUs, Syst. Nat. (Gmelin's edit.) p. 3527. 



Hab. Mediterranean. 



The figures given in illustration of this well-known species 

 are selected to show the variable character of its growth, 

 some examples being merely slightly nodiferous, whUst 

 others are coronated with a prominent row of scale-like 

 tubercles. A variation of structure analogous to this occurs 

 in the genus Valuta, which presents both smooth and 

 tubercled varieties of the greater portion of the species. 



Mav 1845. 



