Bulletin - United States National Museum - Smithsonian Institution

SOUTH AFRICAN MARINE MOLLUSKS. 45
in turn are marked by spiral lirations. The axial sculpture consists
of fine, retractive threads, which are best developed in the grooves
that separate the spiral cords. Suture slightly channeled . Periphery
not markedly differentiated.
Base rather long, marked by 18 low,
feebly rounded, spiral cords, which become more distantly spaced,
more elevated, and narrower anteriorly. These cords are crossed by
microscopic spiral lirations. The axial threads are continued on the
base. Avarix is apparent a little behind the aperture. Aperture
bluish white, narrowly ovate, channeled anteriorly, posterior angle
acute; outer lip reflected, provided with 14 strong denticles; inner
lip strongly developed, reflected over the base with the edge free; provided
with five strong, oblique folds and three weaker ones between
the posterior four. These weaker folds join the posterior strong
neighbor at their outer edge. The strong folds decrease in strength
successively from the posterior anteriorly. Parietal wall glazed by a
thin callus.
The type and another specimen, Cat. No. 272154, U.S.N.M., came
to the United States National Museum in a donation from Mr. John
B. Henderson, in a collection purchased by him from Sowerby and
Fulton, labelled: " Mitra limbifera Lamarck, from South Africa,"
while the pages of this paper were going through press. I am therefore
unable to include a figure of it. It differs from limbifera by
being much more strongly sculptured than that species, also in the
number of the columellar plaits. The type has eight whorls, and
measures: Length, 29.4 mm.; diameter, 12.4 mm.
MITRA MERULA Sowerby.
Cat. No. 186732, U.S.N.M., four specimens from Port Alfred (Coll.
No. 91).
MITRA SIMPLEX Reeve.
Cat. No. 31901, U.S.N.M., one specimen from Cape of Good Hope.
Cat. No. 13925, U.S.N.M., another from the same place. Cat. No.
98012. U.S.N.M., five from Albany, South Africa.
Cat. No. 272157, U.S.N.M., an additional specimen from South Africa.
MITRA, species?
Cat. No. 250345, U.S.N.M., contains two badly worn specimens of
a medium sized, short, stout, brown species, from Port Alfred, which
I am unable to refer to any of the known species (Coll. No. 1218).
MITRA PATULA Reeve.
Cat. No. 186731, U.S.N.M., eight specimens from Port Alfred (Coll.
No 90) ' '
MITRA PICTA Reeve.
Cat. No. 186729, U.S.N.M., three specimens from Port Alfred (Coll.
No. 88). Cat. No. 186975, U.S.N.M., two from Port Alfred (Coll.
No. 507). Cat. No. 272153, two from South Africa.