1898.] Impressions of Achill. 139 



Marine Moli^usca. 



The strands of Achill Island, of which there are several, are 

 not ideal places for shell-collecting. The Atlantic waves 

 smash ever}' shell into pieces, and generally only finely 

 comminuted fragments are to be seen. Towards the eastern 

 portion of the island, where there is more shelter, shells are 

 to be found, and it is possible that dredging in these quieter 

 waters might yield good results ; but during our stay high 

 winds rendered dredging impracticable. At the eastern end 

 of the picturesque sandy bay adjoining lyOUgh Nambrack, on 

 the northern coast of Achill, shells had been washed in in 

 some numbers^ particularly at the rock}- point on which stands 

 an ancient monument marked "caher" on the i-inch Ordnance 

 Surve3^ map. We paid two visits to this place, and brought 

 away a bag of the finer material, with the results which appear 

 in the subjoined list. Our warm thanks are due to Dr. 

 Chaster, of Southport, for his kindness and promptness in 

 determining a number of the smaller forms. 



The list contains nothing of special interest, but as no list 

 of Achill shells has apparentl}^ appeared hitherto, w^e think it 

 worth while giving a complete enumeration of the species ob- 

 ser^^ed, as a contribution to the west coast fauna ; the list fits in 

 between Mr. Standen's list of Roundstone shells {Irish 

 Naturalist, September, 1895) and Miss Warren's Killala list 

 {Jour7ial of Conchology, vol. vii., October, 1892) — Roundstone 

 lying fifty miles south, as the crow flies, Killala forty miles 

 north-east. 



Our list runs to exactly 100 species and varieties, none of 

 which call for special remark. Ten of them are not in Miss 

 Warren's list, which was the result of some years' collecting ; 

 while over thirty are additions to Mr. Standen's more hurriedly 

 compiled Roundstone catalogue. Adcorbis subcarinatus and 

 Vejicrupis Irus are characteristic west coast southern species. 

 Plcuroto7ua septangtilai'is, frequent in our material, has not 

 apparently been previously recorded from Connaught, and is 

 a rare shell. Some shells, usually common on sandy beaches, 

 appeared quite absent from Achill, such as Cyprina and 

 Ltitraria, FiiS7ts antiquiis^ &.c. 



