T40 MELVILL : DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF MITRA. 



This is the largest species at present known of the genus ; 

 a remarkably stout, ponderous shell, somewhat approaching the 

 genus Turbinetta. It is evidently a Zatirus, although the columella 

 plicae characteristic of the genus are wanting, or at least invisible ; 

 probably they are covered up by the thick callous deposit. In 

 L.gibbuta (Gmel.), which seems to be the nearest ally to this species, 

 the plaits are only visible in the younger specimens. 



Two specimens of this remarkable new Latirus were collected in 

 May, 1873, at the above locality, by the late Capt. Eudel. 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF MITRA. 



r,v JAMES COSMO MELVILL, M.A., F.L.S., 

 Prestwich, ManchesU r. 



Mitra idae, sp. now 

 (PI. i, ^g. 6.) 

 M. testa elongato-cylindricfr) ponderosa, nigra epidcrmide 

 omninb contectd, spirit obtusct fusiformi, anfractibus septem^ 

 transversim regulariter arctissime punctato-striatis punctis mi nut is, 

 ultimo anfractu in medio usque ad basin Iceviore, aperturd 

 ob/ongd, labro exteriore redo, intus leevi, cineraseente. columella 

 quadriplicatd. Long. 2*25 inch. Lat. "75 inch. 

 Habitat : Point Loma, Power California (Miss Ida Shepherd). 

 This interesting species belongs to a section of the genus which 

 has its headquarters on the western shores of North America and 

 Mexico, and of which M. lens (Wood) may be taken as the type, all 

 the species possessing a black or dark brown epidermis, and being 

 more or less decussate or puncto-striate, and it is not unlike the 

 recently described M. fultoni (E. A. Smith) from the same locality. 

 Differentiation, however, seems easy between them. M. fultoni 

 exhibits a more distant transverse punctuation, the pitting being 

 both deeper and wider, the whorls are also ventricose, and the spire 

 more acuminate, and attenuate in comparison. The outer lip, too, is 

 more effuse than in AT. idee. With M. caliginosa (Reeve) both 

 species show more affinity, but here, again, the transverse sulci are 

 more regular, and scarcely punctate. 



I have seen nearly thirty specimens of this new form, and a good 

 many also of M. fultoni, all keeping well to their individual 

 characteristics. It is with great pleasure that I associate with 



