446 THE OCEAN WORLD. 
mitre. They are chiefly natives of warm climates, such as the Indian 
Ocean, the Australian Seas, and the Moluccas. The shells of the 
Fig. 272.—Ovulum volva (Linnzeus). 
Mitres are long, slender, and spiral, the spire ending in a point at the 
summit: the opening is small, narrow, and triangular, and notched. 
in front. The animal has a very 
long proboscis ; it emits a purple 
liquid, having a nauseous odour 
when irritated. The eyes are 
placed on the tentacles or at their 
base. Mitra episcopalis (Fig. 273), 
from the Indian Ocean, is white, 
ornamented with square spots of a 
finered, andcapable of high polish. 
Mitra papalis (Fig. 274) has 
dentiform folds round the open- 
ing, which also crown each turn of 
the spiral ; the spots are smaller, 
and much more numerous and 
varied in form than those of 
MM. cpiscopalis. 
In the genus Vo/uta the shell 
is oval, more or less tun-bellied 
—the spire is short, slightly mam- 
millate, the opening large, the 
edges notched, without channel ; 
the columellar edge is lightly ex- 
cavated and arranged in oblique 
Fig. 273. Fig. 274. i i 
Mins Se ie Mitre’ pepalis folds. The right edge is arched, 
(Lamarck), (Lamarck). thick, or cutting, according to the 
species. 
The animal has a. large head, provided with two tentacles. The 
mouth terminates in a thick trunk furnished with hooked teeth. The 
foot is very large, furrowed in front, and projecting from all parts of 
