196 



A LIST OF THE MABINE 

 TESTACEOUS MOLLUSCA OF THE DORSET COAST. 



BY W. THOMPSON^ ESQ. 



In writing a list of the Marine Mollusca of the coast of Dorsetshire^ I think 

 it necessary to make one or two remarks on the presumed rarity of their 

 occurrence. In order to carry out my ^'Fauna Dorsettensis," on which I am 

 now engaged, I have been obliged from time to time during the three last 

 years to turn my attention to Shells; this, therefore, has been the time during 

 which the list has been made. The list contains two hundred and five species, 

 all of which I have myself obtained, with the exception of the twenty-three 

 against which I have placed a mark, thus *; and these I have given on the authority 

 of Forbes and Hanley, in their "British Mollusca," and of Shells in the possession 

 of a gentleman in this town, who obtained them at Weymouth. The nomen- 

 clature I have followed is that of Forbes and Hanley. I have obtained the 

 greater portion of my Shells by dredging on the Oyster-beds; some few were 

 picked up on the beach. There is a large zone of sand running between the 

 shore and the Oyster-grounds which I have not yet explored; I therefore give 

 the accompanying list, not as final, but merely as a complete one to this time: 

 many now marked rare I may expect to find pretty plentiful, and also add other 

 species to the list. I have not as yet found a single species of Odostotnia; it is, 

 however, idle to suppose that we have not a single representative of this family. 

 I have placed at the bottom of the list the varieties we obtain here: — 



Cardium Norvegicum. Not rare. 

 „ pygmaeum. Local. 



Acmaea virginea. Not rare. 

 Akera bullata. Not rare. 

 Anomia aculeata. Hare. 



„ ephippium. Common. 

 „ striata. Rare. 

 Aplysia hybrida. Rare. 

 Aporrhais pes-pelecani. Local. 

 Area lactea. Common. 

 Artemis lincta. Not rare. 



„ exoleta. Rare. 

 Astarte elliptica. Rare. 



„ sulcata. Rare. 

 Buccinum undatum. Common. 

 Bulla hydatis. Not rare. 

 Calyptraea Sinensis. Not rare. 

 Cardium aculeatum. Rare. 



„ echinatum. Not rare. 



„ edule. Common. 

 * „ fasciatum. Rare, 



,, nodosum. Local. 



„ rusticum. Rare. 

 Cerithium reticulatum. Common. 

 Chemnitzia elegantissima. Rare. 

 „ formosa. Rare. 



„ rufa. Rai'e. 



Chiton asellus. Not rare. 



„ cancellatus. Not rare. 



„ cinereus. Not rare. 



„ fascicularis. Not rare. 



„ laevis. Not rare. 



„ ruber. Rare. 

 *Cochlodesma prastenue. Local. 

 Coecum glabrum. Rare. 

 Corbula nucleus. Common. 

 '^' „ rosea. One, doubtful. 

 Crenella discors. Common. 



„ marmorata. Not rare. 

 '^ „ rhorabea. One specimen. 



