Zoological Illustrations Series II/Plate 78



As the connection of the Olives with the Mitres has been illustrated in a former number, we now characterize the sub-genus by which the former are united to the Ancillariæ. The thickened and oblique plaits on the pillar, its smoothness on the upper part, and the great width of the aperture, are all characters which render this affinity unquestionable, and detach the group from the more common and typical Olives before alluded to.

Since we published the figure of Oliva striata, (Oliva, Pl. 1. f. 2.) we have procured the true Ancillaria canalifera of Lamark, and find it as we suspected, a very different shell. As Hiatula leads to the Ancillariæ, so does the sub-genus Olivella, (comprising the small operculated Olives) conduct us to the Mitres, by means of Olivella volutella, already figured in this work. We believe the third aberrant form is represented by our Oliva striata, but we shall not proceed to characterize it as a sub-genus, until a better acquaintance with the group is obtained; its analogy to Conohelix, by its external sculpture, seems to us a strong ground of distinction.

We procured all these wide-mouthed Olives from the Messrs. Stuchbury, to whom we are often indebted for the loan of interesting specimens.