Book IX. land of BARBADOS. 271 
“ outer Shellwith foarp and regular Points 3 and twifted or wreathed in the 
“ Form and Likene/s of the Blowing-fhell.” Tn which loft Particular it is 
diftinguifhed from the other Purple-Fifh, which is ufually filed the 
Purpura. 
3. Ineed not add, that the Murex is often called Oftrum alfo: For from oneum. 
this Name we fhall receive no further Tnformation in our prefent Inquiry ; 
unlefs it be, that as this Word means really no more than the Se// (@) ; 
fo we may from hence conclude, that the Antients beftowed this Appel- 
lation upon it, by way of Eminence 3 to teftify, as it were, the jut 
Senfe they had of its fuperior Excellence to all other Shells, 
Uf. Thus far then as to the Wames attributed by the Antients to the 
Murex 5 which have enabled us to difcover the For and Fa/bion of its 
Shell ; which the curious Reader will find to correfpond with the annexed 
Draught [Plate XXIV. Fig, 2.], which is taken from a Shell now lying 
beforeme. The Murex is a {mall Fifth ; the beft and ‘largeft Sort of 
them, if we believe Atheneus (e), not exceeding one Pound in Weight. 
Thofe we met with on the Shore of this Ifland (as far we could difcover) 
are much lefs, falling very fhort, even the greateft of them, of a 
Pound ; and moft of them being little more than half as heavy. "The 
Dimenfions of the Shell before us, which is one of the common Size of 
thofe, that are here found, will juttify this Account: For on the Jiat Side, 
© or Mouth, it meafures no more than three Inches and an half in Length, 
and two in Breadth; and on the Curve, or outward Shell, four Inches 
and an half in Length ; and over the thickeft Part, three Inches and an 
half in Breadth: And this Meafure rather exceeds, than falls fhort of the 
Truth. Sih 
The Colour of the outward Shell is a dark Grey, fometimes faintly 
tinged with a Yellow. : 
Its Size. 
(d) Oftrum is derived from the Greek aspeov, a Name, which the Grecians beltow on 
all Sorts of .Shell-Fith. It was alfo ftiled Conchylium, for the fame Reafon, 7. e. the 
Shell-Fifh, from the fame Greek Origin, xoyysav. But neither this nor that Appel- 
lation was peculiar to the Murex, properly fo called; but attributed alfo to the 
Purpura, : 
(e) Thvov}es 0 Enon roy peyeroy % pretraion? Ly iii, Cy Big Bed There are fome of the 
“© great ones, and thofe of a Pound Weight.” He calls them indeed TlopQvpas,. the 
Purple-Fith ; but I make no Doubt this Word muft be taken for the Jeveral Species ; for 
the Murex, as well as for the Purpura, But if this be not granted, it will follow, that 
if the largeft Purpure do not weigh more than a Pound, the largeft Murex will not weigh 
fo much: For Pliny affures us, that the Purpura is larger than the Murex, Buccinum 
minor Concha, L. ix. €.36. And though Rondeletius here corrects the prefent Read- 
ing, and changes minor into major’; yet this Liberty with the Text is not to be al- 
lowed. And Atheneus’s Authority in another Place, Z, iii, C. 11. is againft it, who 
fays, that the fimaller Purpure are bred on the Shores and Sea-coaft [the ufual Haunts 
of the Murex, as we fhall fee hereafter] ; and that their Flos is red ; whereas thaf of the 
larger Purpure is moftly black, and {ometimes, egudpdv puxpdr, a little red, i, ¢. of the 
Violet Colour. Thefe two Circumftances convince us, that by the fmaller Purpura, 
Atheneus means the Murex. 
ZZz The 
