MUREX. 



TESTA oblonga, subturrita, spira pleriimque 

 prominula, apice acuto; varicosa, varicibus 

 tribus vel plurimis, plerumque digitatis, vel 

 muricatis, vel spinosis, vel fimbriato-laeeris ; 

 apertura suborbiculari; columella Isevi ; eanali 

 longiuseulo (nonnunquam longissimo) interdura 

 reciirvo ; opereulo corneo. 



The great diversity of character observable in the nume- 

 rous shells which compose the Linnean Murex, and the 

 consequent impossibility of constructing a character generis 

 that should identify all, has naturally led to the separation 

 of several kinds of shells from it, when their characters 

 were sufficiently distinct to admit of definition, such for 

 instance as Cerithium, JRicinula, Trifo7i, Fusus, Ranella, &c. 

 These curtailments have necessarily rendered the defini- 

 tion of Murex much more easy and precise; the Makers of 

 Genera have not however been satisfied, but have seen 

 characters sufficiently strong in their opinions at least to 

 raise to the rank of genera, the M. Haustellum on account 

 of its remarkably elongated canal; the M. tenuispinosus 

 on account of its long slender spines running in three rows 

 down its lengthened canal, and others; we cannot however 

 approve of such innovations, because we think their 

 object is fully attained by the division of the genus accord- 

 ing to the various types at present contained in it ; not that 

 we mean to say that every species enumerated by Lamarck 

 under the Murex is properly so placed, because we are 

 aware that some of them belong to other established 

 genera; these of course should be struck out from among 

 the Murices and restored to their proper places wherever 

 they may be found; if however upon such circumstances 



