Though so greatly divided by Lamarck, this is a beautiful and numerous
genus, comprehending only such shells as have three or more varices on
each whorl.
These varices show the number of times the animal has increased the size
of its shell, and what proportion is added at each increase.
The shells are generally irregular in form, arising from their surfaces
being usually armed with spines, knobs, striæ, or foliations.
Shell generally oval; the spire always but little elevated, armed with
longitudinal transverse varices or thickened bands; aperture small; very
oval and symmetrical by the excavation of the left edge, formed by a
plate applied on the columella, terminated anteriorly by a middling
sized canal, sometimes very long and close; the right edge more or less
adorned with varices; operculum horny, oval, complete, almost circular,
with sub-concentric partitions; summit terminal.
Murex crassispina.
M. Haustellum.
M. acanthopterus.
M. tenuispina.
M. rarispina.
M. inflatus.
M. elongatus.
M. palmarosæ.
M. brevifrons.
M. calcitrapa.
M. adustus.
M. rufus.
M. axicornis.
M. cervicornis.
M. aculeatus.
M. microphyllus.
M. brassica.
M. saxatilis.
M. endivia.
M. radix.
M. melanomathos.
M. hexagonus.
M. scorpio.
M. secundus.
M. Tarentinus.
M. scaber.
M. costularis.
M. cornutus.
M. brandaris.
M. ternispina.
M. brevispina.
M. tenuirostrum.
M. motacilla.
M. asperrimus.
M. phyllopterus.
M. capucinus.
M. tripterus.
M. trigonularis.
M. uncinarius.
M. hemitripterus.
M. gibbosus.
M. triqueter.
M. trigonulus.
M. quadrifrons.
M. turbinatus.
M. trunculus.
M. anguliferus.
M. melonulus.
M. Magellanicus.
M. lamellosus.
M. erinaceus.
M. cinguliferus.
M. subcarinatus.
M. torosus.
M. polygonulus.
M. vitulinus.
M. angularis.
M. crispatus.
M. fenestratus.
M. cingulatus.
M. lyratus.
M. concatenatus.
M. granarius.
M. fimbriatus.
M. pulchellus.
M. aciculatus.
_M. crassispina._ The thick-spined Murex. Pl. 26, fig. 3.
Species with tube very long and spiny.
_M. adustus._ The burnt Murex. Pl. 26, fig. 1.
Species with three ramified varices.
_M. Haustellum._ The Snipe Murex. Pl. 26, fig. 4.
Species with tube very long, and without spines.
_M. acanthopterus._ The prickly Murex.
Species with three varices on each whorl.
_M. melanomathos._ The black-spined Murex.
Species which have whorls with more than three varices; the tube almost
close.
_M. lyratus._ The lyre-shaped Murex.
Species sub-turreted.
_M. vitulinus._ The young Murex.
Species sub-globular; the spire and the canal rather short, very open;
the aperture sub-effuse.