141 



MiTRA, Lamarck. 



Gen. Char. A torreted siibfusiform nni= 

 valved shell, with an acute spire, a notched 

 but not chancelled base ; and parrallel 

 plaits, of which the lowest are smallest, 

 upon the columella ; inner lip of the aper- 

 ture thia, connected with the columella. 



J. His Genus is composed of shells, long ago recognized 

 by Collectors as different from Volutes, and appears to 

 be a very niitural one, distinguished by the elongated 

 subfusiform contour of its members. The plaits upon 

 the columella form the essential character ; but the 

 pointed apex, upon which so much stress is laid by 

 Lamarck, can hardly be admitted as a distinguishing 

 mark, since we find it very serviceable as a specific 

 distinction between Volutes, otherways very nearly re- 

 lated together, and wholly unlike Mitres (see V. gemi- 

 nata, t. 398.) 



The recent spet-ies are often very elegantly colored, 

 and variously ornamented with stride, tubercles, &.c. they 

 have a thin epidermis. 



Fossil species are numerous abroad, but only one 

 English species has been described • even that if we 

 •were willing to mulJply Genera, might perhaps form 

 with M. monodonti^ a now Gt^nus. 



