﻿42 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  but 
  the 
  spiral 
  lir?e 
  are 
  normal 
  in 
  this 
  respect. 
  The 
  measurements 
  

   are:- 
  — 
  • 
  

  

  Type 
  : 
  length 
  lOg 
  millim., 
  diameter 
  3. 
  

  

  Var. 
  from 
  Port 
  Curtis 
  : 
  length 
  12|, 
  diam. 
  4. 
  

  

  11. 
  Murex 
  tenuispira. 
  

  

  Lamarch; 
  Kilsfer, 
  Con.-Cab. 
  p. 
  27, 
  pi. 
  11. 
  fig. 
  3, 
  and 
  pi. 
  20. 
  fig. 
  3; 
  

   Reeve, 
  Conch. 
  Icon. 
  fig. 
  85; 
  Kiener, 
  pi. 
  7. 
  fig. 
  1 
  ; 
  Soioerby, 
  Gen. 
  Rec. 
  

   8f 
  Foss. 
  Shells, 
  pi. 
  225. 
  fig. 
  2 
  ; 
  Thes. 
  Conch, 
  pi. 
  380. 
  fig. 
  7. 
  

  

  Hab. 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  7-10 
  fms. 
  {Coppinger) 
  ; 
  Darnley 
  Islands, 
  

   Torres 
  Straits, 
  20-30 
  fms. 
  (Brazier) 
  ; 
  Amboina 
  (Qiioy 
  df 
  Gaimard); 
  

   Moluccas 
  (Kiener). 
  

  

  12. 
  Murex 
  coppingeri. 
  (Plate 
  V. 
  fig. 
  A.) 
  

  

  Shell 
  clavately 
  fusiform, 
  whitish, 
  indistinctly 
  banded 
  with 
  pale 
  

   brown. 
  Whorls 
  9-9|, 
  three 
  apical 
  smooth, 
  slightly 
  convex, 
  glassy 
  ; 
  

   the 
  rest 
  angulated 
  near 
  the 
  middle, 
  sloping 
  above, 
  somewhat 
  con- 
  

   tracted 
  below 
  at 
  the 
  suture, 
  trivaricose, 
  bicostate 
  between 
  the 
  varices 
  : 
  

   the 
  latter 
  have 
  a 
  single 
  upturned 
  spine 
  arising 
  at 
  the 
  angle, 
  which 
  

   is 
  marked 
  by 
  a 
  prominent 
  ridge. 
  The 
  ribs 
  are 
  rather 
  obsolete 
  

   above 
  the 
  angle, 
  and 
  a 
  trifle 
  oblique 
  below 
  it. 
  The 
  slope 
  of 
  the 
  

   whorls 
  is 
  traversed 
  by 
  about 
  four 
  thread-like 
  lirse, 
  which 
  are 
  most 
  

   strongly 
  developed 
  upon 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  varices. 
  The 
  lower 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  whorls 
  is 
  ornamented 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  similar 
  lirte. 
  The 
  

   three 
  varices 
  on 
  the 
  last 
  whorl 
  bear 
  eight 
  principal 
  spines 
  : 
  of 
  

   these 
  the 
  uppermost 
  is 
  longest 
  and 
  stoutest 
  ; 
  three 
  rest 
  upon 
  the 
  

   labrum, 
  and 
  five 
  upon 
  the 
  right 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  canal. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  

   these 
  are 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  secondary 
  or 
  smaller 
  intermediary 
  spines 
  on 
  

   the 
  outer 
  lip, 
  and 
  a 
  small 
  erect 
  one 
  between 
  each 
  of 
  tliose 
  ujjon 
  the 
  

   canal. 
  The 
  body-whorl 
  is 
  transversely 
  Krato 
  throughout, 
  the 
  lirse 
  

   being 
  unequal, 
  the 
  larger 
  running 
  parallel 
  with 
  the 
  larger 
  spines, 
  

   which 
  are 
  somewhat 
  acutely 
  ridged 
  behind 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  brownish 
  tint. 
  

   The 
  aperture 
  is 
  white, 
  exhibiting 
  traces 
  of 
  three 
  pale 
  brownish 
  

   zones. 
  The 
  outer 
  lip 
  is 
  thin 
  at 
  the 
  edge 
  and 
  denticulated. 
  The 
  

   canal 
  is 
  straight, 
  curving 
  a 
  little 
  to 
  the 
  right 
  near 
  the 
  tip. 
  Length 
  

   58 
  millim. 
  ; 
  aperture 
  and 
  canal 
  41 
  long. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Arafura 
  Sea, 
  Dundas 
  Straits, 
  17 
  fms. 
  

  

  This 
  may 
  prove 
  eventually 
  a 
  remarkable 
  variety 
  of 
  M. 
  7iigrispi- 
  

   nosa 
  of 
  Ileeve, 
  the 
  only 
  species 
  it 
  is 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  confounded 
  with. 
  

   That 
  species, 
  although 
  attaining 
  a 
  larger 
  size, 
  consists 
  of 
  only 
  eight 
  

   whorls, 
  whilst 
  in 
  M. 
  coppingeri 
  I 
  count 
  nine 
  and 
  a 
  half. 
  The 
  

   nucleus 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  consists 
  of 
  two 
  and 
  a 
  half, 
  which 
  are 
  a 
  little 
  

   convex, 
  together 
  forming 
  a 
  Idunt-topped 
  cone. 
  In 
  the 
  former 
  

   species 
  there 
  are 
  two 
  nuclear 
  volutions 
  very 
  convex, 
  forming 
  a 
  glo- 
  

   bose 
  apex. 
  Both 
  species 
  have 
  three 
  varices 
  to 
  a 
  whorl 
  ; 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  

   interstices 
  in 
  M. 
  nigrispinosa 
  three 
  or 
  even 
  more 
  nodose 
  costae 
  are 
  

   met 
  with, 
  whilst 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  species 
  there 
  are 
  but 
  two, 
  and 
  these 
  

  

  