106 MANUAL OP THE MOLLUSCA. 



SERAPHS, Montfort. (Terebellum, Lam.) 



Etym., diminutive of terebra, an auger. 



Type, S. terebellum (Linnaeus sp.)=T. snbulatum, Lam. PL IV., fig. 5. 



Shell smooth, sub-cylindrical; spire short or none; aperture long and 

 narrow, truncated below ; outer lip thin. 



Distr.y 1 sp. China. Philippines, 8 fms. (Cuming.) 



Fossil, 5 sp. Eocene . London, Paris. 



The animal of terebeUum has an operculum like strombus ; its eye-pedicel's 

 are simple, without tentacles (Adams). In one fossil species, T. fusiforme, 

 there is a short posterior canal, as in rostellaria. 



FAMILY II. 



Shell with a straight anterior canal ; aperture entire behind. 



Animal with a broad foot ; eyes sessile on the tentacles, or at their base ; 

 branchial plumes 2. Lingual ribbon long, linear ; rachis armed with a sin- 

 gle series of dentated teeth ; uncini, single. Predatory, on other mollusca. 



MUREX (Pliny) L. 



Types, M. palma-rosa?, PL IV., fig. 10. M. tenuispina, PL IV., fig. 9. M, 

 haustellum, PL IV., fig. 8. M. radix, pinnatus. ^ 



Shell ornamented with three or more continuous longitudinal varices ; 

 aperture rounded ; beak often very long ; canal partly closed ; operculum 

 concentric, nucleus sub-apical (PL IV., fig. 10) ; lingual dentition (M. erinaceus), 

 teeth single, 3 crested ; uncini single, curved. 



Distr., 180 sp. "World- wide; most abundant on the W. coast of tropical 

 America, in the Chinese Sea, West coast of Africa, West Indies ; ranging 

 from low water to 25 fathoms, rarely at 60 fathoms. 



Fossil, 160 sp. Eocene . Britain, France, &c. 



A few of the species usually referred to this genus, belong to pisania 

 and trophon. 



The murices appear to form only one-third of a whirl annually, ending in 

 a varix ; some species form intermediate varices of less extent. M. erinaceus 

 a very abundant species on the coasts of the channel, is called "sting-winkle" 

 by fishermen, who say it makes round holes in the other shell-fish with its 

 beak. See p. 27. The ancients obtained their purple dye from species of 

 murex ; the small shells were bruised in mortars, the animals of the larger 

 ones taken out. (F. Col.) Heaps of broken shells of the M. trunculus and 

 caldron- shaped holes in the rocks may still be seen on the Tyrian shore. 

 (Wilde.) On the coast of the Morea, there is similar evidence of the 

 employment of M. brandaris for the same purpose. (M. Boblaye.) 



TYPHIS, Montfort. 

 Etym., typhos, smoke. 



