Naturalis Historia. Yes, I have read the sections relevant to murex dyeing.
Bailey wrote an excellent book (2 volumes) on the parts of Pliny dealing
with chemical matters. It was very helpful in understanding Pliny.

mendel

At 04:57 PM 5/8/00 -0400, Helmut Nisters wrote:
>you should read Plinius in Latin his natural history. Sorry, but my mother
and I can't remember
>the title. But it was Plinius the older one.
>Helmut from Innsbruck
>
>
>Helmut "Helix" Nisters
>Franz-Fischer-Str. 46
>A-6020 Innsbruck / Austria / Innsbruck
>phone and fax: 0043 / 512 / 57 32 14
>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>web:    www.netwing.at/nisters/
>           (please visit it and sign guestbook)
>
>office:
>Natural History Department of the
>Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum Innsbruck
>Feldstrasse 11 a
>A-6020 Innsbruck / Austria / Europe
>phone: 0043 / 512 / 58 72 86 - 37
>
>----------
>Could you recommend any books in particular?
>
>Thanks!
>
>mendel
>
>At 07:02 AM 1/1/97 +0100, A Menez wrote:
>>  Hello All the information you need, and more, can be found in almost any
>>of the popular, and certainly more specialized, works on molluscs! Alex
>>mendel singer wrote: Hi,
>>   I am new to the list. My interest in mollusks is in relation to ancient
>>dyeing of biblical purple and biblical blue. I am an academic, but in a
>>  I was
>>in need of some information that I couldn't seem to track down, so I am
>>trying here.   I am looking for some information about certain muricidae -
>>particularly
>>murex brandaris and trunculus. The info I need concerns:
>>1. Are they on top of the sand in the sea - or do they bury themselves in?
>>2. Do they have blue blood (like many cephalopods do)?
>>3. When does their shell grow in relation to their body growth?
>>4. Do they have tentacles? If so, are they shaped like hooks (like squid
>>  were rather straight. If ayone can help me out with answers or
>>suggestions where to look, it
>>would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Mendel E. Singer, Ph.D.
>>Case Western Reserve University
>>
>
>