105 



from the animal o^ Turho clathms ; a fliort account of which 

 'may not be unacceptable to the more philofophical part of 

 our readers, efpecially as fome curious circumRances a^Q 

 noted that do not appear to have been Unown. 



Since tlie account given by Mr. Cole, in the Philofophical 

 Tranjactions, and afterwards reprinted, and fold feparately 

 in the year 1689, no further experiments feem to have been 

 tried, except by a French naturalifl:, and tlieie went only to 

 prove the exiftence of a purple dye within the animal of 

 Buccinum lapillus, which was confidered as the famous 

 Tyria7i pjirpum of the antieiits, and the method of marking 

 with it detailed.* 



The animal is of a pale colour, with flender tentacula, 

 upon which, about half way up on the outfide, are placed the 

 eyes : the ends of the tentacula as far as the eyes are retrac- 

 tile in the fame manner as thofe of the common fnail : there 

 is also a fmall arm protruded at the canal of the fhell. 



The part containing the colouring matter is a flender lon- 

 gitudinal vein, jull under the fkin on the back, behind the 

 head, appearing whiter than the re 11 of the animal. We 

 broke feveral of thefe fliells in a fmall vice (which is not fo 



•DuHAMEL published some experiments on the colouring matter of the 

 Purpura, with remarks on the species; and which are inserted in the Mem tie 

 I' Acad, Royale des Sciences for 1/36. This philosopher considers the purple 

 (lye of the autients to have been extracted from a species of Murex, differing in 

 opinion with Jiis countrjniaii Reaumub, who suppoied it to be the Buccinum 

 lAapllus, 



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