﻿346 
  Panama 
  Shells. 
  MURICID^, 
  

  

  138, 
  IHiirex 
  radix. 
  

  

  Synonymy. 
  

  

  Favanne's 
  D'Argenv. 
  pi. 
  3Y. 
  f. 
  D, 
  

   Murex 
  radix 
  Schrot. 
  Einl. 
  Concli. 
  I. 
  548. 
  No. 
  17. 
  1783, 
  

  

  Gmel. 
  iu 
  Linn. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  p, 
  3527. 
  No. 
  10. 
  1788. 
  

  

  - 
  melanomathos 
  Dillw. 
  Catal. 
  686. 
  pars. 
  1817. 
  

  

  radix 
  Lam. 
  An. 
  sans 
  Vert, 
  VIL 
  168. 
  No. 
  36. 
  Aug, 
  1822. 
  

  

  Swains. 
  Zool. 
  111. 
  2d. 
  ser. 
  pi. 
  113. 
  (Sub. 
  gen. 
  

  

  Centronotus.) 
  - 
  1823. 
  

  

  Scliub. 
  et 
  Wagn. 
  Supp. 
  Chem. 
  p. 
  132. 
  pi. 
  

  

  230. 
  f. 
  4064-5. 
  -------- 
  1829, 
  

  

  Wodarcli 
  Introd. 
  Conch, 
  (4tli 
  ed. 
  Front, 
  f. 
  3. 
  1831. 
  

  

  Valenc. 
  in 
  Humb, 
  Rec. 
  Obs, 
  IL 
  299. 
  1833. 
  

  

  Sowb. 
  Conch. 
  Ill, 
  Catal, 
  No, 
  85. 
  1841. 
  

  

  Kiener 
  Iconog. 
  p. 
  60. 
  pi, 
  37, 
  38. 
  f. 
  1. 
  

  

  Hanley 
  Conch. 
  Book 
  Spec. 
  p. 
  91. 
  1842. 
  

  

  Lam. 
  An. 
  sans 
  Vert. 
  IX. 
  584. 
  No. 
  36. 
  

  

  (Desh. 
  ed.) 
  - 
  --------- 
  1843, 
  

  

  Lam. 
  An. 
  sans 
  Vert. 
  III. 
  Pt. 
  2. 
  p. 
  707. 
  

  

  No. 
  36. 
  (Desh. 
  ed. 
  tert.) 
  1844. 
  

  

  Reeve 
  Conch. 
  Icon. 
  pi. 
  17. 
  f. 
  69. 
  June 
  1845. 
  

  

  Chenu 
  Lee. 
  Elem. 
  p. 
  198. 
  f. 
  652. 
  1847. 
  

  

  Perhaps 
  to 
  this 
  synonymy 
  we 
  should 
  add 
  Murex 
  ambiguus, 
  

   Keeve 
  Conch. 
  Icon. 
  pi. 
  13. 
  f. 
  51. 
  Mr. 
  Eeeve 
  remarks 
  : 
  — 
  " 
  Any 
  

   modification 
  of 
  structure 
  may, 
  I 
  apprehend, 
  be 
  considered 
  of 
  

   specific 
  importance, 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  immediately 
  approached 
  on 
  

   either 
  side." 
  — 
  Conch. 
  Icon. 
  Murex. 
  pi. 
  13. 
  Or 
  even 
  if 
  we 
  could 
  

   find, 
  in 
  a 
  great 
  number 
  of 
  specimens, 
  a 
  dominant 
  type, 
  with 
  

   only 
  occasional 
  gradations 
  into 
  another 
  type, 
  the 
  former 
  might 
  

   be 
  considered 
  as 
  of 
  specific 
  value. 
  In 
  this 
  case, 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  

   varices 
  not 
  exceeding 
  eight, 
  (while 
  in 
  M. 
  radix 
  they 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  

   equal 
  or 
  exceed 
  ten,) 
  the 
  large 
  open 
  flowery 
  fronds, 
  and 
  the 
  

   elongate 
  form, 
  are 
  supposed 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Eeeve 
  to 
  indicate 
  a 
  specific 
  

   type. 
  But 
  among 
  our 
  shells, 
  the 
  specimens, 
  which 
  have 
  nine 
  

   varices 
  together 
  with 
  an 
  intermediate 
  form, 
  are 
  much 
  more 
  

   numerous 
  than 
  those 
  which 
  correspond 
  to 
  the 
  description 
  and 
  

  

  