Geographical Distribution of tJie Shell-Purple Industry. 5 



shire, South Wales, and Ireland, in the course of which he 

 discovered the curious photogenetic properties of the 

 colour. These experiments were continued by other 

 observers, including Reaumur, 4 du Hamel, 3 Deshayes/ and 

 Lacaze-Duthiers. 7 The general concensus of opinion on 

 the question is that the f purpura' of Pliny is the Murex 

 trunculus, or the M. branderis, of modern conchologists, 

 while the ' buccinum ' of the Roman naturalist is probably 

 the Purpura hcemastoina, all three species being common 

 to the Mediterranean shores. The Pnrpura lapillns^ so 

 abundant on the shores of Europe generally, is also likely 

 to have been employed in the production of the inferior 

 sort of purple. 



The J///r^t'-shell is almost constantly in evidence as 

 a design upon Tyrian coins from A.D. 112 onwards. The 

 shell here is quite distinct from the so-called " Murex" of 

 pre- Alexandrine coins (circa 450-400 B.C.). The latter is 

 not a Murex at all, but is more like a Triton, or trumpet- 

 shell ; and the same shell appears on the coins of Byblus 

 (c. 350 u.c.) and of Tarentum (c. 400-330 B.C.). The 

 Murex of the imperial coins of Tyre (A.D. 112 on) is 

 distinctly like Murex branderis, one of the chief purple- 

 yielding shells. 



Whether the design of the Murex (and so-called 

 Murex) on these coins had primarily any connection with 

 the purple-trade of Tyre is doubtful, though this has been 

 suggested by leading authorities. 



4 Mem de F Acad. tics Sciences, 1711, pp. 168-199 (Reaumur also 

 accidentally discovered that the egg-capsules of Purpura afforded the dye 

 in greater abundance, and with less trouble, than the animal itself). 



"' Ibid. 1736, pp. 49-68. 



" " Mollusques de la Mediterranee," in " L' Exped. Scient. de Moree, 

 Section des Sciences physiques," iii., Paris, 1832, pp. 189-192. 



1 Proc. A' or. .S'<?(-. Loud., x., 1860, pp. 579-584; also Ann. des Sci. 

 A'at. Zoo!., \ii., 1859, pp. 5-84, and plate. 



