﻿44 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  growth 
  more 
  conspiciious. 
  In 
  M. 
  acantliosteplies, 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  

   spines 
  on 
  the 
  canal 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  dark 
  spot 
  on 
  one 
  side, 
  which 
  is 
  

   best 
  seen 
  when 
  the 
  sliell 
  is 
  wetted. 
  

  

  14. 
  Murex 
  macgillivrayi. 
  (Plate 
  V. 
  fig. 
  C.) 
  

  

  Dohrn, 
  Proc. 
  Zool. 
  Soc. 
  1862, 
  p. 
  203. 
  

  

  Murex 
  macgillivrayi 
  (Miirch 
  !), 
  Sowerbt/, 
  Thes. 
  Conch, 
  vol. 
  iv. 
  p. 
  3, 
  

   fig. 
  162 
  (wrongly 
  coloured). 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Lizard 
  Island 
  {Maegillivray). 
  Port 
  Curtis, 
  Queensland, 
  

   0-11 
  fms. 
  ; 
  Port 
  Darwin, 
  8-12 
  fms. 
  ; 
  and 
  Prince 
  of 
  "Wales 
  Channel, 
  

   Torres 
  Straits, 
  7-9 
  fms. 
  {Copj'^inger). 
  

  

  The 
  figure 
  in 
  Sowerby's 
  ' 
  Thesaurus 
  ' 
  gives 
  no 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  colour 
  

   of 
  this 
  species. 
  The 
  specimens 
  described 
  by 
  Dohrn 
  are 
  overcleaned, 
  

   and 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  painting 
  is 
  removed. 
  These 
  were 
  in 
  consequence 
  

   correctly 
  characterized 
  as 
  " 
  white, 
  with 
  yellowish 
  lirse.'' 
  The 
  shells 
  

   collected 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Coppinger 
  at 
  Port 
  Curtis 
  are 
  in 
  fresh 
  and 
  perfect 
  

   condition, 
  and 
  show 
  the 
  true 
  colouring 
  of 
  the 
  species. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  yel- 
  

   lowish 
  shell, 
  exhibiting 
  throe 
  purplish-brown 
  bands 
  on 
  the 
  body- 
  

   whorl, 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  uppermost 
  is 
  the 
  broadest, 
  being 
  situated 
  around 
  

   the 
  broadest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  volution. 
  The 
  central 
  one 
  is 
  the 
  narrowest 
  

   in 
  the 
  four 
  specimens 
  under 
  examination, 
  and 
  placed 
  midway 
  between 
  

   the 
  other 
  two, 
  the 
  lowermost 
  falling 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  convexity, 
  or, 
  

   in 
  other 
  words, 
  immediately 
  below 
  the 
  third 
  spine 
  on 
  the 
  varices. 
  

   The 
  spiral 
  lirae 
  are 
  fine, 
  reddish, 
  in 
  some 
  examples 
  more 
  deeply 
  

   coloured 
  than 
  in 
  others, 
  and 
  terninate 
  at 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  labrum 
  

   in 
  red 
  dots, 
  which 
  fall 
  between 
  the 
  lobe-like 
  prolongations. 
  Other 
  

   larger 
  examples 
  from 
  Port 
  Darwin 
  have 
  the 
  three 
  purplish-brown 
  

   bands 
  less 
  pronounced 
  and 
  the 
  general 
  tint 
  paler. 
  All 
  have 
  the 
  

   canal 
  blotched 
  with 
  brown 
  in 
  front 
  belo.v 
  the 
  spine 
  on 
  the 
  dextral 
  

   margin. 
  One 
  of 
  these 
  blotches, 
  situated 
  between 
  the 
  second 
  and 
  third 
  

   spines, 
  is 
  constantly 
  the 
  longest. 
  Within 
  the 
  aperture 
  the 
  external 
  

   banding 
  is 
  seen, 
  and 
  the 
  cavity 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  varix, 
  when 
  not 
  filled 
  with 
  

   callus, 
  is 
  almost 
  black, 
  forming 
  a 
  dark 
  submarginal 
  stripe. 
  The 
  canal 
  

   is 
  long 
  and 
  straight, 
  tapering, 
  and 
  blotched 
  with 
  brown 
  in 
  two 
  or 
  

   three 
  places. 
  

  

  The 
  specimens 
  from 
  Torres 
  Straits 
  are 
  paler 
  than 
  the 
  Port-Curtis 
  

   examples, 
  have 
  but 
  little 
  trace 
  of 
  the 
  bands, 
  and 
  have 
  the 
  uppermost 
  

   spine 
  longer, 
  curved, 
  and 
  upturned. 
  

  

  15. 
  Murex 
  axicornis. 
  

  

  Lamarck 
  ; 
  Kicnei-'s 
  Coq. 
  Viv. 
  pi. 
  42. 
  fig. 
  2 
  ; 
  Reeve, 
  Conch. 
  Icon. 
  pi. 
  15. 
  

   fig. 
  37, 
  pi. 
  10. 
  fig. 
  37, 
  var. 
  ; 
  Kiister's 
  Con.- 
  Cab. 
  pi. 
  21. 
  fig. 
  3 
  ; 
  Sowerhy, 
  

   Thes. 
  Conch, 
  pi. 
  382. 
  fig. 
  31. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Moluccas 
  ; 
  Philippines 
  {Reeve) 
  ; 
  Prince 
  of 
  Wales 
  Channel, 
  

   5-7 
  fms., 
  and 
  Thursday 
  Island, 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  4 
  fms. 
  (Copj^inger); 
  

   Palm 
  Island, 
  N.E. 
  Australia 
  (Brazier). 
  

  

  