. The animal kingdom, arranged after its organization, forming a natural history of animals, and an introduction to comparative anatomy. Zoology. 366 Fig. 1S4.—Murcx tenuispina. The Murex, Linn.*— Embraces all shells whose canal is elongate and straight. I have found in the animals of all the sub- genera a proboscis ; approximated long tentacula, with the eyes external at their base; a horny oper- culum, and no veil over the head : they otherwise resemble the Buccina, except in the length of the siphon. Bruguieres divided them into two genera, subsequently subdivided into others by
. The animal kingdom, arranged after its organization, forming a natural history of animals, and an introduction to comparative anatomy. Zoology. 366 Fig. 1S4.—Murcx tenuispina. The Murex, Linn.*— Embraces all shells whose canal is elongate and straight. I have found in the animals of all the sub- genera a proboscis ; approximated long tentacula, with the eyes external at their base; a horny oper- culum, and no veil over the head : they otherwise resemble the Buccina, except in the length of the siphon. Bruguieres divided them into two genera, subsequently subdivided into others by Lamarck and Montfort. Murex, Brug., are all shells with a salient straight canal, and with varices across the whorls. M. Lamarck reserves this name specially to those in which the varices are not contiguous, so as to make two opposite rows. If their canal is long and slender, and the varices are armed with spines, they belong to the Murex of Montfort. If the varices are merely nodulous, they constitute his Brontes. Some, with a canal of moderate length, have projecting tubes between the spinous varices which penetrate the shell; and these are the Ty- phis, Montf. The Chicoracea of the same have, instead of spines, the varices garnished with plait- ed leaves, torn or divided into branches : their canal is long or moderate, and their foliaceous productions vary infinitely in shape and complexity. When, with a moderate or short canal, the varices are only nodulous, and when the base has an umbilicus, the shell becomes an Aquilla, Montf. We have several species on our coasts. If there is no umbilicus, that marks the genus Lotorium. Lastly, when the canal is short, the spire raised, and the varices simple, the shell is a Tritonium. The mouth is generally grooved trans- versely on both sides. We have some large species in our seas. [The T. variegation is much valued by the inha- bitants of'some of the South Sea islands.] There are of them some with numerous, compressed, almost m
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1854
