MUREX. 



Plate XXVII. 



Species 119. (Mus. Belcher.) 



MuREX HAMATUS. MiiT. testd ovatd, baseni versus snbat- 

 tenuatd, anfractihm superrie angulatis, sexfanam, vari- 

 cosis, varicibus alatis, lacinik retrorsum liamatis, inter- 

 stitiis transversim coatatis, areis qtiadratk formantibus ; 

 palUde luteo-pacescente ; labro deiite parvo mferni 

 nmnito ; canali brevimculo. 



The hooked Murex. Shell ovate, somewhat attenuated 

 towards the base, whorls aiifjulated at the upper part, 

 six-varicose, vaiices winged, lappets hooked back- 

 wards, interstices transversely ribbed, forming square 

 areas ; pale yellowish brown ; bp furnished at the 

 lower part with a small tooth ; canal rather short. 



Hinds, Mollusca Toy. H. M. S. Sidphur, p.S. pl.3. f.11,13. 



Hab. Bay of Guayaqidl (di'edged fi'om a muddy floor at 

 the depth of twenty-one fathoms) ; Hinds. 



An interesting new species bearing some distant affinity 

 with the Murex moiwceros. 



Species 130. (Fig. a and b, Mus. Cuming.) 



Murex hexagonus. Mur. testd fmiformi-ovatd, liexa- 

 gond, anfractibus superni subangulatis, sexfariam vari- 

 cosis, varicibus spini-s aculei/orviibiis armatis, v/iricnm 

 interstitiis transversim Uratis, areis coiicavis oblongo- 

 quadratis formantibus ; lutescente, spinis interdum ro- 

 seo-purpurascentihis ; canali subelongato. 



The hexagonal Mukex. Shell fusiformly ovate, six- 

 sided, whorls slightly angidated at the \ipper part, 

 six-varicose, varices armed with prickle-Uke spines, 

 interstices between the varices transversely grooved, 

 fonning oblong-quatbate concave areas ; yeUowash, 

 spines sometimes rose-purple ; canal rather elongated. 



Lamarck, Anim. sans vert. (Deshayes' edit.) , vol. ix. p. 5 8 5 . 



Hab. Island of St. Thomas, West Indies. 



In some examples of this excellently defined species the 

 prickle-Kke spines are of a beautifid rose-purple colom-. 



Species 121. (Mus. Cuming.) 



Murex lingua-vervecina. Mur. testd subpyriformi- 



ovatd, ItEvigatd, aut peculiariter scabrosd, inferne con- 



tractd, spird brevi, acuta; anfractibus snperne depresso- 



cavernosis, trivaricosis, varicibus lamiuatis, varicum 



interstitiis obtuso-costatis, tuberculo magno rotundato ; 

 albd, nigricante-fusco sape tinctd et variegatd; canali 

 breiuHscido, attenuato. 



TuE sheep's tongue Murex. Shell somewhat pyri- 

 fonnly ovate, smooth, or peculiarly scabrous, con- 

 tracted at the lower part ; spu-e short, sharp ; whorls 

 depressly cavernous at the upper part, tliree-vai-icose, 

 varices laminated, interstices between the varices ob- 

 tusely ribbed, with a large rounded tubercle ; white, 

 often stained and variegated with blackish brown ; 

 canal rather short, attenuated. 



Chemnitz, Conch. Cab. v. 10. pi. 161. f 1540-1. 

 Le Jaton, Adanson. 

 Murex glbbosus, Lamarck. 

 Murex lingua, DiUwyu. 



Hab. Island of Goree, West Africa (dredged from sandy 

 mud at a depth of about thii'ty fathoms) ; Belcher. 



Tills is truly Le Jaton of Adanson ; the shell figured by 

 Sowerby, under the corrupt name Jatonus, in the Concho- 

 logical Illustrations, Kg. 60, is the Murex hemitripterus, a 

 species perfectly distinct, as wdl be seen by the description 

 following this, and the figiu'e to which it refers. 



I adopt Chemnitz's name for Le Jaton in full, because 

 I see no objection to the introduction of compound speci- 

 fic names when they involve one idea ; and we have already 

 several acknowledged precedents, ex. gi\ auris-Mida, caput- 

 serpeutis, peUis-serpeutis, he. 



Species 133. (Mus. Saul.) 



Murex hemitripterus. Mur. testd trigono-pyriformi, 

 baseni versus gradatini attenuatd, crassiusculd, trans- 

 versim obtuso-costatd, tuberculo magno inter varices, 

 spird brevi, angidato-turrild ; anfractibus superne au- 

 gulato-depressis, trivaricosis, varicibus soUdiusculis, 

 obtuso-costatis ; albidd, carneo-fuscescentevarid ; canali 

 breviusculo. 



The hemitripterotis Murex. Shell triangidarly pyri- 

 form gradually attenuated towards the base, thick, 

 transversely obtusely ribbed, with a large tubercle 

 between the varices ; spire short, angidarly tm'reted ; 

 whorls angularly depressed at the upper part, thi-ee- 

 varicose, varices rather solid, obtusely ribbed ; whitish, 

 variegated with fiesh-tiuted brown; canal rather short. 



August lS-15. 



