122 Panama SheUs. MUBIcaP-aK 



138. Murex radix. 



tSynonymy. 



Favanne's D'Argenv. pi. 37. f. D. 

 Murex radix Schrot. Einl. Conch. I. 548. No. 11. 1783. 



(Gfmel. in Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 3527. No. 10. 1788. 



■ melanomathos Dillw. Catal. 686, pars. 1817. 



radix Lam. An. sans Vert. VIL 168. No. 36. Aug. 1822. 



Swains. Zool. DL 2d. ser. pli 113. (Subj gen. 



Centronotua.) --------- 1823i 



Schub. et Wagn. Supp. Chem; p. 132. pi. 



230. f. 4064-5. - - - - - 1829. 



Wodarch Introd. Gonch. (4th ed. Front, fi 3; 1831. 



Valenc. in Humb. Rec Obs. IL 299. 1833. 



Sowb. Conch. Ill: Catal. No. 85. 1841. 



Kiener Ibonog. p. 60. pi. 37, 38. f. 1. 



Hanley Conch, Book Spea p.,01.. 1842. 



Lam. An. sans Vert. LX. 684. No. 36. 



(Desh. ed.) r 1843. 



Lam. An. sans Vert. IIL Pt. 2. p. 707. 



No. 36. (Desh. ed, tert.). 1844. 



Reeve Conch. Icon. pi. 17. f. 69. June 1845. 



Chenu Lee. Elem. p. 198. f. 652. 1847. 



Perhaps to this synonymy we should add Murex ambiguus, 

 Eeeve Conch. Icon. pi. 13; f. 51. Mr. Reeve remarks : — " Any 

 piodification of structure may, I apprehend, be considered of 

 epeciflc importance, when it is not immediately approached on 

 either side." — Conch., Icon. Muresp, pi, 13, Or even if we could 

 find, in a great number of specimens, a dominant type, with 

 only occasional gradations into another type, the former might 

 be considered as of specific value. In this case, the number of 

 varices not exceeding eight, (while in M. radix they are said to 

 equal or exceed ten,) the large open flowery fronds, and the 

 elongate form, are supposed by Mr. Reeve to indicate a specific 

 type. But among our shells, the specimens, which have nine 

 varices together with an intermediate form, are much more 

 numerous than those which con-espond' to. the description and 



