68 



A REVIEV OF THE VOLUTIDAE 



Hermannsen, In 1846, first asso- 

 ciated the recent species with the tertiary 

 fossil long known to science as Bulla heli- 

 coides. 



The single recent species was sup- 

 posed by Meuschen to be a terrestrial mol- 

 lusc and he accordingly placed It under 

 Eeltx. 



After dissecting the soft parts of 

 Halt a Fischer considered Its nearest ally 

 to be the Inoperculated De franc I a section 

 of the present Turridae. Further study may 

 substantiate this claim but as there is 

 still some doubt It has been Included In 

 the present paper pending more detailed in- 

 vestigation. 



Hal la prlamus Meuschen 1778 

 (Plate 24, Figure I65) 



Ealia prlamus Meuschen. Kobelt : Icon, 

 Europ. Meeresconch 11, p. 6. Reeve: 

 Monog, Halla sp. 1, I963. Pace: P.M. 3. 

 London, vol. 5, P. 29, 1902 (Anatomy). 

 Sykes: P.M.S. London, vol. 9. p. 353j 

 1911. Dall: Tert. Moll. Florida, vol. 

 5, p. 81. Smith, Maxwell: World-Wide 

 Sea Shells, p. 81, sp. 1124, 1940. 



Helix prlamus Meuschen, Cat. Mus. Gron, 

 no. 1355, 1778. 



Bucclnum flcus Martyn: Univ. Conchologist, 

 vol. Ill, p. 81. 



Ampulla prlamus Roedlng, Bolten Catalog. 



Achat ina prlamus Lamarck. 



Bucclnum stercus-pullcum Chemnitz, 



Alt. 75 mm. , 



Hab. Off Spain and Portugal; Porcupine Exp, 

 1870, sta, 26, 30 (fragments), off Cape 

 Sagres, 45-58 fathoms; off Cadiz; most 

 abundant in bay lying between Cape St. 

 Vincent and Trafalgar; fossil in the 

 Italian Pliocene. 



The enamel -like surface of the rath- 

 er fragile shell indicates an almost com- 

 plete envelopment by the mantle; surface of 

 shell fulvous-fawn color with below the 

 periphery a series of bands consisting of 

 small square separated chestnut -colored 

 spots; aperture large, notched anteriorly 

 and posteriorly, lip simple. Foot volumin- 

 ous, proboscis long. Indicating an organism 

 phytophagous in habit or if zoophagous liv- 



ing upon fragile organisms, or those part- 

 ly decomposed. 



According to Pace the radula is 

 similar to that of Amor la. 



The example figured is in the writ- 

 er's collection. 



Subfamily VOLUTOMITRINAE 

 Genus VOLUTOMITRA Gray 1855 



Volutomltra, Gray, I855, in Adam's Genera 

 of Rec. Moll., vol. 1, p. 172, pi. 19, 

 fig. 2. Type Ultra irimlandlca Beck; 

 2, p. 619, 1858, Guide Moll. British 

 Mus., p. 36, 1857. Dall: Bull. Mus. 

 Comp. Zool., 28, p, 145, pi-. 34, figs. 

 6, 7, 1889. 



Afitra (Beck) Moller: Index Moll. Gronl., 

 p. 15, 1842. Reeve: Conch. Icon., Mono. 

 Mitra, pi. 15, fig. IO6, 1844. Tryon: 

 Man. Conch., vol. 4, p. 124, 1882. 



Genotype: Ultra iriinlandlca Beck. 



Range: Boreal Seas. 



A small, compact group, distin- 

 guished by the lack of operculum; shell, 

 small, unlcolorous with a dark perlostracum 

 and plaited columella; nucleus small. 



Volutomltra gr^nlandlca (Beck) 1842 

 (Plate 4, Figure 35) 



Ultra Ir^nZandlca Beck, in MSller Index 

 Moll. Gronl., p. 15; 1842. Reeve: 

 Conch. Icon., Mono. Mitra, pi. 15, fig. 

 106, 1844. 



Mitra ir^nlandlca Gray, Tryon: Man. Conch., 

 vol. 4, p. 124, pi. 36, fig. 83, 1882. 



Mitra iraenlandlca Gray, Sowerby: Thes. 

 Conch., Mono. Mitra, p. 25, species 34l, 

 pi. 23 (Thes. pi. 374) fig. 519. 



Volutomltra ir^nlandlca . H. and A. Adams: 

 Genera of Rec. Moll., 1, p. 172, pi. 19, 

 fig, 2, 1853. Gray: Guide Moll. Brit- 

 ish Mus., p. 36, 1857. Dall: Bull. 

 Mus. Comp. Zool., 18, p. l45, pl. 34, 

 figs, 6, 7, 1889. Sars: Moll. Reg. 

 Arct. Norv., p. 244, pl. 23, fig. 12, 

 1878. Maxwell Smith: East Coast Marine 

 Shells, p. 129, pl. 64, figs. 6, 7, 

 1937. 



