MELVILL & SYKES : MARINE SHELLS FROM THE ANDAMANS, 225 



below the sutures, the lower part of the upper whorls being plain, 

 the last whorl has a white band towards the middle, the chestnut- 

 ochre suffusion extending thence over the base, which is attenuate. 

 Aperture narrow, oblong, outer lip simple, columella straight, four- 

 plaited. 



29. MiTRA (Costellaria) Geobgii, n.sp. Fig. Ill (p. 222). 



Mitra testa f usif ormi, nigra, apice acutissimo, anf ractibus 11, ad 

 . suturas paullum impressis, longitudinaliter arete costatis, costis rectis, 

 Isevibus, nitidis, interstitiis spiraliter sulculosis, interdum evanidis, 

 colore omnino nigro, zona angusta albida superiores apud anfractus 

 infra medium, ultimo anfractu centraliter accincta, apertura oblonga, 

 intus spiraliter striata, labro recto, nitido, nigro, columella triplicata. 

 Long. 17-20, lat. 6-9 mm. 



Five examples of a fusiform Costellaria, with extremely acuminate 

 apex, rather solid, hardly shining, whorls eleven, slightly impressed 

 at the sutures, and longitudinally, regularly and closely, ribbed, the 

 ribs straight, smooth, rather shining, interstices spirally grooved, in 

 some specimens obsolete. The colour is entirely black, relieved by 

 a very narrow white band, which in the upper whorls is situate below 

 the centre, and in the last whorl at the periphery ; aperture oblong, 

 outer lip rather straight, shining, black or blackish-brown ; columella 

 having three plaits ; lip internally striate near the aperture. 



M. {Costellaria) armillata, Reeve, is allied to this, but of totally 

 different form. We have carefully compared it with the whole of the 

 variable ' Cruentata ' section, and do not doubt its distinctness. 



Since the name Mitra Booleyi has been employed by Wood-Mason, 

 though we have failed to trace his description of the species, we give 

 to this interesting Andamanese form the Christian name of the late 

 Mr. G. H. Booley. 



30. Mitra (Costellaria) Layardi, A. Ad. IN'early allied to 

 M. crehrilirata, Eeeve : it ranges from Ceylon to the Philippines. 



31. Mitra (Costellaria) semifasciata. Lam. A well-marked form, 

 which is distributed across the Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean, to the 

 Polynesian Islands. 



32. Mitra (Costellaria) mucronata, Swn. The distribution of 

 this variable shell is the same as the last. We think Tryon 

 (Man. Conch., ser. i, vol. iv, p. 174) errs in sinking several well- 

 marked species as mere varieties of this one; such, for instance, as 

 M. nodilirata, A. Ad. 



33. Mitra (Costellaria) spicata, Reeve. A rare species, admirably 

 figured by Sowerby (Thes. Conch., pi. xii, fig. 190; pi. xix, fig. 383). 

 Described as from the Moluccas. We should consider this distinct 

 from M. fusiformis, Kien., the smooth and shining lower whorl being 

 characteristic. 



34. Mitra (Pitsia) affinis. Reeve. Only one, but that a beautiful 

 example, came in the collection. It is a Polynesian species, and 

 nearly akin to M. aureolata, Swn. 



