MUREX.— Plate IX. 



varices painted alternately with square red spots, co- 

 lumella reddish yeUow, interior of the aperture white, 

 lip spotted with black-brown, especially at the upper 

 part, apex red, canal rather short, reciu'ved. 



Eeeve, Pro. Zool. Soc., 1845. 



Hah. ? 



iVIthough this shell has so many characters in common 

 with the Murex pomum, it exhibits a constant peculiarity 

 of sculpture, form, and colom-. In sculptm'e it is smoother 

 and presents two tubercles between each varix ; in form it 

 is more gracefid and slender ; and in colour it is peculiarly 

 tinged and spotted with red, with a red apex. I have seen 

 numerous examples of this species, and can distinguish them 

 at a glance fi'ora any variety of the Murex pomum. 



Species 14. (Fig. 14. Plate III. Mus. Taylor; Fig. 14 b. 

 Plate IX. Mus. Cuming.) 



Murex ros.\rium. Mur. testa, globoao-turbinatd, ventri- 

 cosd, spird breviusculd ; avfractibus miperne rotundato- 

 angulatis, tranwersim crebriliratis, Uris crispato-rugo- 

 ■lii, mbsgiiamom ; sexfa?iam vel septifariam varicosd, 

 varicibus obtusis, angnlum super squamato-tuberculatis, 

 basem versus crassisijuamatis ; ferrugiueo-fuscescente, 

 fasciis tribus nigricante-fmck interruptis ornatd, vari- 

 cibus rosea marffit/atis, columella vivide rosed, apertura 

 fauce rosea trifasciatd ; canali breviusculo, latiusculo, 

 umiilicato. 



The rose-bed Murex. Shell globosely turbinated, ven- 

 tricose, spire rather short ; whorls rotundately angu- 

 lated at the upper part, transversely closely ridged, 



ridges wrinkled in a crisped manner, and somewhat 

 squamose ; six- or seven-varicose, varices obtuse, 

 squamately tubercled upon the angle, thick-sealed to- 

 wards the base ; rusty brown, ornamented with three 

 inteiTupted dark brown bands, varices edged with 

 rose, columella deep rose colour, interior of the aper- 

 ture stained with three rose bands ; canal rather short, 

 somewhat broad, umbilicated. 



Variety /3 (Plate III. Fig. 14). 



Testa, globosior, albida, fasciis purpureis, columella citrino- 



luted. 

 Shell more globose, whitish, with the bands purple, and the 



columella citron yellow or salmon-colour. 

 Chemnitz, Conch. Cab. vol. x. pi.' 161. f. 1528, 1529. 



Murex melonulus, Lamarck. 

 Hob. Fernando Po. Variety /3, Senegal. 



Although tills species presents such a striking display 

 of characters it is one of the most variable of the genus. 

 No two shells, for example, are apparently more distinct 

 from each other than the varieties here figm-ed, yet upon 

 examination they will be found to approximate in their 

 plan of scidpture and distribution of colour with the mi- 

 nutest exactness. In form and structure the variations 

 are really extraordinary ; in one richly-coloured example 

 before me, from the collection of Thomas Nonis, Esq., the 

 apertm-e is so large and widely expanded that the shell 

 almost assumes the form of a Pyrula, in another the struc- 

 ture is that of a heavy solid shell like the Murex impe- 

 rialis (though, of com-se, having no relation with that 

 species) . 



