completely. A deep water form, M. celhilosiis levimilus Dall (pi. 25J), of more delicate sculpturing and with brown markings, is found off the coast of North Carolina and eastern Florida. An inch-long, chubby subspecies, nuceus Morch (pi. 251), with a shorter and wider siphonal canal and heavily scaled varices, occurs in the West Indies but has been collected by Dr. J. S. Schwengel on Tea Table Key, Lower Florida Keys, and off Fort Walton by Mr. L. A. Burry,
Subgenus Pterynotus Swainson 1833 Section Pteropurpura Jousseaume 1880
Murex bequaerti Clench and Farfante Bequaert's Murex
North Carolina south to Key W'est.
1 to 2% inches in length. Spire high. No spines. Each varix is a high, rounded, thin plate or web. Between these varical webs there is a single, low, rounded nob. Color a uniform cream-white. A bizarre species which is the least spinose of our American forms. It is being collected in dredging operations along the west coast of Florida in increasing numbers, although it remains a rarity. It was named after one of our foremost malacologists at Harvard University, Dr. Joseph C. Bequaert. Dall identified this species as Murex macropterus Desh.
Murex trialatus Sowerby Western Three-winged Murex Figure 45c
Northern California to Lower California.
2 to 3 inches in length, with 3 large, wavy, wing-like varices per whorl. Siphonal canal closed along its length. The body whorl between each varix is smoothish, with or without one low, rounded tubercle, and sometimes with 2 to 5 weak, spiral cords or threads. Anterior face of each varix with fine, crowded, axial fimbriations. Color grayish, dark- or light-brown, or with white spiral bands.
Typical trialatus from southern California and Lower California reaches a length of 3 inches, is generally dark chestnut to blackish brown with 4 to 6 narrow white bands, and has very fine spiral threads which are sometimes scaled, beaded or smooth.
The subspecies carpenter! Dall (fig. 45c) — tremperi Dall and petri Dall are ecological forms or color varieties, as is the all-white alba Berry — has larger wings which are smooth on the posterior face. The color is generally light yellowish brown, all-white or with 2 wide white bands. Common off- shore.
