MITRA. 113 



M. VARIEGATA, Reeve. PI. 33, figs. 9, 10, 12, 13, 14. 



Whitish, clouded with pale chestnut. Length, 1-25-1-75 inches. 



Red Sea, Mauritius, Philippines. 



The type had an unusually depressed spire, for the species, 

 accompanied by a slight angulation on the superior portion of 

 the body-whorl. I have before me a specimen exhibiting similar 

 divergence from the normal growth, but not quite so marked. 

 In young, fresh specimens the spire is almost clathrate, the 

 sutures especially being closety plicated ; when the shell becomes 

 adult, and somewhat worn, this longitudinal sculpture mostly 

 disappears. It is usually a heavier shell, but comes close enough 

 to M. versicolor to give rise to doubts of its distinctness ; on the 

 other hand it approaches certain species in which the edge of 

 the lip is not crenulate, and as it is a certain fact that this 

 character also is frequently obliterated with age, there is strong 

 probability that eventually several other synonyms will be 

 added, besides those which I herewith subjoin : these are M. 

 nympha, Reeve (fig. 12), being the normal growth, M. Rossite, 

 Reeve (fig. 14), which is a full-grown and somewhat worn 

 specimen, and probably M. lacunoxa, Reeve (fig. 13). If the 

 latter is the same species, it will have priority over M. variegata. 



M. SANGUINOLENTA, Lam. PL 33, fig. 15. 



Shell encircled by punctate impressed striae. Yellowish red, 

 strigate with chestnut and spotted with white. 



Length, 1-25 inches. 



Habitat unknown. 



This species is known to conchologists only through the type 

 figured by Kiener ; Lamarck himself, according to his synonymy, 

 appears to have confounded it with M. versicolor. 



M. EXIMIA, A. Adams. PL 33, figs. 16, 17. 



White, clouded with chestnut. Length, 1 inch. 



Mauritius, Ceylon. 



Said to be somewhat clathrate l\y the growth-lines. Is very 

 probably only a stunted specimen of M. variegata. M. lacunosa, 

 Sowb., not Reeve (fig. 17 ! , is a more advanced stage of growth ; 

 it is said to come from Ceylon. 

 15 



