THE NAUTILUS. 27 



at once by its very oval, compressed aud translucent shell with very 

 fine and sharp concentric groovings. So fur I have not found it in 

 the fossil state. 



NOTES ON MOLLUSKS OF FLORIDA. 



BY JOSEPH WILLCOX. 



In THE NAUTILUS for November, 1894, the writer referred 

 to the habits of many species of mollusks which he observed on the 

 west coast of Florida. The present paper has been written in con- 

 tinuation of the same subject. 



It is an interesting matter, for personal observation, to witness the 

 persistent and relentless warfare of the molluscan forms upon others 

 of the same family in their quest for food. 



In the case of the oyster their enemies are not confined to members 

 of the mollusca. In Florida waters they are preyed upon by num- 

 erous enemies which ply their, predaceous vocation during the 

 twelve months of the year. 



Among the fishes the drum and the sheephead are the chief con- 

 sumers of the oyster ; the former devouring those of moderate size, 

 while the latter confine their attention to the destruction of voung 



O 



oysters. 



In the vicinity of the oyster beds nearly all the sheephead fish are 

 found with ragged and freshly-cut lips caused by the sharp edges of 

 the young oysters which they break loose from the clusters. So per- 

 sistent are the sheephead, in the destruction of the young oysters, 

 that single individuals of the latter are comparatively rare ; and the 

 survival of the species, in some localities, is, in a great measure, due 

 to their protective habit of living in clusters. 



Coextensive with the destruction of the oyster by the fishes, refer- 

 red to above, their consumption appears to be as great by their 

 molluscan enemy the Melongena corona. 



Every oyster bed, on the west coast of Florida, from Cedar Keys 

 to Cape Sable, is infested by these ostneophagi, which persistently 

 prey upon the oysters as the chief article of their diet. 



Their method of attack and subsequent destruction, from which 

 there is no escape for the victim, is exceedingly ingenious, and is 

 probably not unaccompanied by some measure of discomfort and 

 even pain on the part of the aggressor. 



