MUREX AND BUCCINUM. 177 



But, we have widely digressed from the Tyrian purple, 

 which, I was about to tell you, we know to have been pro- 

 duced by a fish. 



HENRIETTA. 



On what authority 1 ? 



MRS. F. 



Upon that of Pliny, who states that there were two species 

 of mollusca which afforded it; the one a tolerably large 

 animal, which Linnaeus supposes to have been Murex truncu- 

 /us, and Cuvier Murex brandarum. You all of you know 

 the Murex? 



Murex Trunculus, Murex Brandanus, &c. 



ESTHER. 



They are what we call the Rockshells. 



MRS. F. 

 The other animal employed was a Buccinum. 



ESTHER. 



That is the genus which we term Whelks. 



MRS. F. 



Exactly so; which species was used, is not exactly known. 

 Linnaeus assigns the distinction to Buccinum lapillus, which 

 is one of the commonest of our British shells; but many of 

 this family afford a coloring matter, as do several others of 

 the univalve shells such as Helix Janthina, which, when 

 touched, emits a purple liquor that tinges the sea around it. 

 This Buccinum produced a color resembling the Murex, 



