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A genus of marine gastropods, having rough, and frequently spinose, shells, which are often highly colored inside; the rock shells. They abound in tropical seas.

A complex nitrogenous substance obtained from murexide, alloxantin, and other ureids, as a white, or yellowish, crystalline which turns red on exposure to the air; -- called also uramil, dialuramide, and formerly purpuric acid.

A crystalline nitrogenous substance having a splendid dichroism, being green by reflected light and garnet-red by transmitted light. It was formerly used in dyeing calico, and was obtained in a large quantities from guano. Formerly called also ammonium purpurate.

rogenous compound obtained as a scarlet crystalline substance, and regarded as related to murexide.

lied genera. -- Hedgehog shell (Zoöl.), any spinose, marine, univalve shell of the genus Murex. -- Hedgehog thistle (Bot.), a plant of the Cactus family, globular in form, and covered with spines (Echinocactus). -- Sea hedgehog. See Diodon.

Like, or pertaining to, the genus Murex, or family Muricidæ.

ic acid. It is not known in the pure state, but forms well-known purple-red compounds (as murexide), whence its name.

-- Rock seal (Zoöl.), the harbor seal. See Seal. -- Rock shell (Zoöl.), any species of Murex, Purpura, and allied genera. -- Rock snake (Zoöl.), any one of several large pythons; as, the royal rock snake (Python regia) of Africa, and the rock snake of India (P. molurus). The Australian rock snakes mostly belong to…

See under 6th Ray. -- Sting winkle (Zoöl.), a spinose marine univalve shell of the genus Murex, as the European species (Murex erinaceus). See Illust. of Murex.

elebrated purple dye prepared in ancient Tyre from several mollusks, especially Ianthina, Murex, and Purpura. See the Note under Purple, n., 1, and Purple of mollusca, under Purple, n.

Murexan.

Venus's purse. -- Venus's comb. (a) (Bot.) Same as Lady's comb. (b) (Zoöl.) A species of Murex (M. tenuispinus). It has a long, tubular canal, with a row of long, slender spines along both of its borders, and rows of similar spines covering the body of the shell. Called also Venus's shell. -- Venus's fan (Zoöl.), a c…

red owl (Asio brachyotus). -- Woodcock shell, the shell of certain mollusks of the genus Murex, having a very long canal, with or without spines. -- Woodcock snipe. See under Snipe.