Mr. Broderip on some new and rare Shells. S3 



VoLUTA LYRiFORMis. — Horp Voliite. 

 (MiTRA LYRIFORMIS. Swainson.) 



V. test^ valde fusiformi, longitudinaliter multi-costat^, costi^'^ 

 interstitiisque longitudinaliter striatis, carnea, ultimo anfracta 

 trifasciato, fasciis subcaeruleis, maculis spadiceis interruptis super- 

 positis, anfractibus caeteris eodem modo suturas versus bifasciatis; 

 costis lineatis, lineolis rubro-spadiceis, transversis ; spir^ vald^ 

 producta, sub-attenuata, apice acuto-papillari ; columella multi- 

 plicata, plicis ultimis maximis ; basi corrugata, emarginalS,. Long. 

 3 i unc. 



Mus. nost. 



Habitat ? 



Icon. Swainson, Zool. lUust. tab. 54. Tab. nost. 3. fig. 3. 



Shell Tery fusiform, with many longitudinal ribs, which together 

 with the interstices are striated longitudinally, flesh-coloured, 

 the body whorl (which is corrugated at the emarginate base,) 

 with three bluish bands ornamented with interrupted dark chesnut 

 spots; the other whorls with two similar bands placed near the 

 sutures ; the ribs marked with regular transTcrse lines of a reddish 

 chesnut; spire very much produced and rather attenuated, the 

 apex acutely papillary ; pillar with many plaits, the two last 

 being much the largest. 



The nearest approach to the Mitres is, perhaps, to be found in 

 this rare shell figured by my friend, Mr. Swainson, in his Zoo- 

 logical Illustrations, under the name of Mitra lyrceformis. In- 

 deed he says, and there is no one more competent to speak on the 

 subject, " It connects in the most beautiful manner the two genera 

 of Mitra and Voluta."*^ I should be diffident of describing this 

 shell, after one so eminently qualified to enlighten every subject 

 of Natural History which he approaches, were it not that the 

 specimen from which he took his description, must have been 

 originally poor and had certainly suffered subsequently from an 

 '' unmerciful cleaning ; " so that he had not a fair opportunity of 

 describing its characters. He has published this shell as a Mitra. 

 The last plaits of the pillar, which are the largest, point out the 



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