GARRETT: ON POLYNESIAN MITRID^. 



Genus MITRA La?nafck. 



Mitra adusta Martin. Reeve, Conch. Icon., pi. iv., fig. 25. 



Excepting the Marquesas, we obtained this species in all 

 parts of Polynesia, but comparatively rare in every group except 

 the Viti Islands, where they occurred in abundance in a single 

 location in the eastern portion of Vanua Levu. They were 

 found congregating in numbers of all ages, beneath large 

 masses of dead coral near low water mark. 



Reeve's figure is much lighter colored than any South Sea 

 examples, and has the appearance of a weathered shell. 

 Mitra ambigua Swainson. Reeve, 1. c, pi. ii., fig. 8a, 8b. 



Not uncommon under large blocks of coral near low 

 water mark, Viti Islands ; more rare at Samoa and very scarce 

 at the Society and Panmotu Islands. Examples obtained at 

 the two latter groups are less than an inch in length and have 

 the subsutural band very clearly defined. 



Viti specimens attain a length of two inches, which is 

 smaller than Reeve's figure of a Philippine shell. Our shells 

 are darker colored, more slender, and the aperture more 

 contracted than the above mentioned figure. 

 Mitra annulata Reeve. 1. c. pi. xiv. fig. 103. 



A rare species, found burrowing in clear sand in the 

 upper region of the laminarian zone, inside the reefs at the 

 Society Islands. 



Mr. Reeve who records it from Zanzibar, does not 

 mention the color; and his figure which agrees very closely 

 in shape and sculpture with our shells, is, like many of his 

 figures carelessly colored. 



Society Island examples are livid-white, sometimes 

 stained with light ferruginous, and more or less mottled and 



