M I T R E L L A fusca. 



Family Volulidoe. Sub-family Mitriana. Nob. 

 Generic Character. 



Shell smooth, polished, sub-fusiform, the base obtuse and effuse; 

 the plaits of the pillar oblique, and extending far beyond the 

 aperture; outer lip internally smooth, the margin entire. 

 Nobis. 



Types of form. 



1. M. Jissuella. 2. casta, bicolor. 3. Olivseformis. 



Specific Character. 

 *S'/je// entirely brown, marked by bands of punctured dots; spire 

 and aperture nearly equal. 



The natural situation of this group, in its own circle of 

 affinity, has already been shewn ; it connects, in the most 

 satisfactory manner, the genus Mitra, as now restricted, 

 with that of Conolielix, and opens at the same time a 

 passage to the Olives. The species yet discovered are few, 

 and hence we yet can only trace three types of form ; the 

 first evidently representing Mitra, and the third, probably, 

 typifying Conolielix. M. Olivaria Lam., which truly 

 belongs to this genus, may, perhaps, be only a modification 

 of the 2nd type, to which our present species strictly 

 belongs. The representation of this group among the 

 Volutes, will be found in Voluta Zebra and its allies. 



Mitrella fusca is small, and of great rarity ; our own 

 specimen, beautifully perfect, is the only one we have yet 

 seen. 



MITRELLA ocellata. 



Shell icliitcish, the lotvcr half of the principal ichorl brown, tcith 

 a band of alternate rifous and white spots, and tnarkcd tcith 

 reticulated white lines, and remote sulcalcd stria?, internally 

 punctxired ; spire, and upper part of the body ichorl, delicately 

 plaited, the plates crossed by transverse lines of excavated 

 dots. 



This species has probably been overlooked as a variety of 

 M. Fissurella ; its markings, indeed, are partially the same, 

 but its sculpture, and even its form, proves it to be distinct. 

 The alternate white and rufous spots bear a fanciful resem- 

 blance to eyes. The description of M. Olivixformis has 

 already been given at PI. 48, in the first volume of our 

 forjiier Series. 

 Mitrannc, PI. 6. 



