121 



zvith Tyriaii Miirex," is an expreffion of Virgil that indicates 

 it to have been colle6led from fhells of that genus only ; 

 but we muft recolle6l that conchology was at the time of 

 thofe writers in its very infancy, fcarcely fyftematized, or 

 formed into any divifions ; fo that Turbo clathrus may pof- 

 fibly have fome claim to the credit of contributing to the 

 celebrated Tyrian Mwex. Indeed it appears much more 

 probable that the colouring fecretion of this animal Ihould 

 have attra6led notice, and have been collected as a dye, than 

 that of Buccinum Lapillus, for the obvious reafon that it not 

 only produces the fluid fpontaneoufly, and in much greater 

 quantity, but that its primitive culour is of that richnefs fo 

 glowingly defcribed. 



Murex Brandaris , cdiWedihy Rondiletius Murex purpura, 

 is generally believed to be one of the fpecies that afforded 

 that coftly dye in the Mediterranean. This fhell, which in 

 Engii/h, has been called the Thorny Snipes head, is figured in 

 Chemnitz, vol. 10. tab. l6o. 



The vaft heaps of fhells mentioned by authors to be found 

 about Tarentum, are fuppofed to be thofe from which this 

 celebrated dye was extradled, and feems to indicate that 

 place to be one of thofe where it was prepared ; but of what 

 fpecies thefe really are, we donotfindfufficiently afcertained. 



The Tyrian purple which appears to have been in perfec- 

 tion in the days of Pliny, the greateft philofopher of that 

 era, is faid to have been extremely coltly ; the double dyed 



O purple 



