(ii'Oii'i-ophicnl nistiibiition of (he Shell-Purf^lc Iiulust) y. 5 



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

 discovered the curious [)hotogenetic properties of the 

 colour. These experiments were continued l)y other 

 observers, including Reaumur/ du Hamel,"' Deshayes,'' and 

 Laca/.e-Duthicrs.' The general concensus of opinion on 

 the question is that the •' purpura ' of Pliny is the AFiirex 

 fnenc/i!ns, or the M. brarideris, of modern conchologists, 

 while the ' buccinum ' of the Roman naturalist is probably 

 the Purpura hcBinastouhu all three species being common 

 to the ATediterranean shores. The Purpura lapillns^ so 

 abundant on the shores of Europe generally, is also likely 

 to have been employed in the production of the inferior 

 sort of i)urple. 



The J///;ui'-shell is almost constantly in evidence as I 

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

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

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

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

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

 [c. 350 15.C.) and of Tarentum {c. 400-330 li.C.J. The 

 Mnrcx of the imperial coins of Tyre (A.D. II2 on) is 

 distinctly like Mnrcx braudcris, one of the chief purple- 

 \ielding shells. 



Whether the design of the Murex yand 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. 



' j/cw dc I' Acad, dcs Sueuids, 171 1, [jp. 16S-199 (Reaumur also 

 accidentally discovered ihat llie egg-capsules of I'lnpura aflforded the dye 

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



• Ibid. 1736, pp. 49-68. 



''' " Mollu.sques de la Mcditeriance." in " L" Expcd. Scicnl. de Morce, 

 Section des .Sciences physiques,"" iii., Paris, 1S32, pp. 1S9-192. 



•' Pioc. Roy. Soc. Loud., x., i860, pjj. 579-584: ^^'so Aim. da Set. 

 A'at. Zoo/., \ii., 1859, pp. 584. and plate. 



