1894.] NATUllAf. SCIENCKS OF PHILADEIjPHIA. 209 



si.< would in that case be a misnomer, he proposed to re-narae the 

 form Patella Pihhryi Brazier.' Since Mr. Brazier has given no 

 proof whatever in support of his hypothesis, and as we have every 

 reason to believe it without foundation in fact, the necessity for this 

 proposed change of name is not apparent. 



In support of the original statement that P. kermadecensis inhabits 

 the Kermadec Islands, I am now tible to quote the following passages 

 from a letter' received from my friend Charles Hedley, of the Aus- 

 tralian Museum: — 



"There can be no doubt that it [P. kermadecensis'] really inhabits 

 the Kermadecs. 



" Mr. Charles Spencer, of Auckland, a leading New Zealand 

 collector, has just given me a most circumstantial account of it. He 

 says a great number were collected at the orders and by the crew of 

 Capt. Fairchild, of the government steamer " Hinemoa," while on an 

 official visit to Raoul, or Sunday Island, the principal island of the 

 group. Most of these passed into the hands of Mr. Eric Craig, a 

 natural history dealer of Auckland, who distributed them to various 

 correspondents throughout the world." 



The literarv history of this species is thus seen to have been much 

 more extensively exploited than its natural history. The references 

 to the books are as follows: — 



Patella (Sctdellastra) kermadecensis Pilsbrv, The Nautilus, vii, 

 p. 106 (Feb. 1894). 



Patella kermadecensis Taylor, tout, cit., p. 142. 



Patella kermaderensix Dall, MS., Jan. 1894. 



Patella pilsbryi Brazier, Abstract of Proc. Linn. Soc. , N. S. Wales, 

 meeting of April 25, 1894, p. iii. 



P. kermadecensis may be compared with two previously described 

 species, P. yigantea Lesson, and P. pica Reeve. The former is, I do 

 not doubt, quite distinct. The original description, by which alone 

 it is known, is as follows : — 



''Patelle Gigantesque. Patella gigantea Less.— Cette coquille 

 tres-fruste en dessus n'avait pas moins de 7 pouces de longueur sur 5 

 de largeur. Sa forme est massive, tres-epaisse, oval aire, convexe, 

 a sommet submedian, a limbe ovale allonge, plus dilate en arriere. 

 L' animal doit etre enorme', car il laisse a la voiite de la face interne 



- Abstract of Proc. Linn. Soc, N. S. WalcH, April 25, 1894, p. iii. 

 ■' Written under date of June IS, 1894. 



15 



