254 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [anNO 1685. 



senators, &c. strove to excel each other in new fashioned purples, to gratify the 

 luxury of the great men of those times. This colour sold then at very high 

 prices ; the fine double dyed purple of Tyre, called diabapha, yielded 1000 

 Roman denarii the pound, which is computed to be more than 30l. sterling; 

 and this of ours being of so excellent a colour, without other preparation or addi- 

 tion of any thing to it, may now, or at least hereafter, by farther improvement, 

 perhaps vie with the Tyrian purple. Johnston out of Aristotle, mentions a 

 species of these fishes, under the name of littorales quae parvae, et flore sunt 

 rubro ; this agrees with ours, which may be named purpura littoralis, sive 

 Teniensis parva turbinata. 



PI. 8, fig. 9, 10, 11, 12, are several shells of the purpura, in their natural 

 size; fig. 13 the operculum. 



On a Runic Inscription at Beaucastle. By Mr. JVm. Nicolson. 



N° 178, p. 1287. 



This inscription is on one entire free-stone, of about 5 yards in height, 

 washed over, as the font at Bridekirk, with a white oily cement, to preserve it 

 the better from the injuries of time and weather. The figure of it inclines to 

 a square pyramid ; each side being near 1 feet broad at the bottom, but upwards 

 more tapering. On the west side of the stone, are 3 fair draughts, which evi- 

 dently manifest the monument to be Christian. The lowest of these represents 

 the portraiture of a layman, with a hawk or eagle perched on his arm. Over 

 his head are the ruins of Lord Howard's inscription. Next to these, the 

 picture of some apostle, saint, or other holy man, in a sacerdotal habit, with 

 a glory round his head. On the top stands the effigies of the B. V. with the 

 Babe in her arms ; and both their heads encircled with glories as before. On 

 the north appear a great deal of checquer-work ; subscribed with ancient Runic 

 characters, fairly legible, though unintelligible. On the east side appears no- 

 thing but a few flourishes, draughts of birds, grapes, and other fruits : all 

 which are probably no more than the statuary's fancy. On the south are 

 flourishes and conceits, as before ; and towards the bottom another decayed in- 

 scription, the defects in which are sufficient to discourage us from attempting 

 to expound it. 



On a Runic Inscription on the Fount at Bridekirk. By Mr. Nicholson. 



N° 178, p. 1291. 



The fabric of this monument seems fair enough, to evince that it is Chris- 

 tian ; and that it is now used to the same purpose for which it was at first de- 



