HABITS OF MITRES. 343 



probably on account of the small size of its locomotive 

 disc, and the ponderous nature of its long shell, is de- 

 cidedly a very sluggish mollusk. I have observed some 

 of the auricula-shaped Mitres, that live among the Philip- 

 pines, in the shallow pools left by the receding tide, 

 crawling about the stones, out of the water, in company 

 with the Planaxis and Quoyia. The Mitres, however, in 

 general, like many of the larger Volutes,, crawl in societies 

 of many dozens, over the sandy mud-flats in shallow 

 water, and are more particularly active just before the 

 flood-tide makes. When the tide recedes, they bury 

 themselves superficially in the yielding soil, and are with 

 difficulty discovered. Some of the small, ribbed species 

 cover themselves entirely with the sandy mud, and in 

 that disguised condition, travel about in comparative 

 security. On one occasion, in the small island of Ambo- 

 lon, at the south end of Mindoro, I was walking up to 

 my ankles in water, over a firm, sandy mud-flat, taking 

 little notice of the Cones, Strombi, Melcagrina, and 

 Volutes which people the water in great numbers, but 

 looking about anxiously for the rarer Mitres, when I first 

 perceived these small species, under their ingenious dis- 

 guise, marching in towards the shore, as the tide flowed 

 rapidly over the level surface. Persons, by the way, 

 should never venture in places of this description bare- 

 footed, as there is a species of Pinna which buries its 

 sharp end in the mud, but leaves the thin, trenchant 

 edges of the gaping extremities exposed, which, when 

 trodden on, inflict very deep and painful incised wounds. 

 Both myself and several of the boat's crew suffered in 

 this way. 



