FUSUS. 



turn ; the circumstance for which it is remarkable is that 

 it has a more or less distinct tooth projecting from near 

 the base of the outer lip, which is sometimes much length- 

 ened, though it is more commonly nearly obsolete ; thirdly, 

 several species nearly agreeing in form with the last men- 

 tioned, though differing in the characters of the colu- 

 mella, near the center of which is a remarkable tubercular 

 prominence, they have also three small horizontal folds at 

 the base of the columella. The opercula of all the above 

 are alike in form, only differing in thickness a little. 



We have already, under the article Murex, shown 

 that the M. Magellanicus should be arranged with the 

 Fusi, it nearly resembles in form our common Fusus des- 

 pectus or antiquus (Murex antiquus, nonnull.) There is a 

 very remarkable shell, commonly known under the name 

 of Murex aruanus. Linn., but called Fusus proboscidi- 

 J'erus by Lamarck, the apex of its spire for about three- 

 fourths of an inch from the commencement is cylindrical, 

 consisting of several volutions; this shell grows to be 

 much the largest of the genus we are acquainted with, we 

 have seen it two feet in length.* 



The Fusi are all marine, and they do not appear to 

 be confined to any particular part of the globe; the species 

 are very numerous and several very common on our coasts. 

 The fossil species are also very numerous, several of them 

 abound in our London Clay formation, and in the Calcaire 

 grossier, and they are chiefly found in the tertiary beds. 

 The F. contrarius of Lamarck is characteristic of the 

 English Crag, and a very nearly similar species is found 

 in !Sicily, both in a recent and fossil state. 



Our plate represents at 



Fig, 1. Fusus longissimus, young. 



2. aculeiformis 



3. Colosseus, young. 



4. striatus. 



5. Nifat. 



* Linne refers to Gualt. Test. t. 47, f. B. for a representation of his Murex 

 Aruanus, which certainly is not the Fusus proboscidiferus of Lamarck. 



