388 Transactions. 



Government has now authorised the preparation of a new 

 Manual, I feel it incumbent upon me to endeavour to fill this 

 lack, even in an imperfect manner. 



Between 1880 and 1886 Captain Hutton- wrote a good deal 

 upon the New Zealand Mollusca, and, living in Christchurch, 

 some of his work relates to Banks Peninsula molluscs. Since 

 then Mr. Suter has recorded some species from this locality. I 

 can trace no other recent workers. 



Upon looking at the map. Banks Peninsula can be seen 

 as a compact rocky peninsula bounded both on the north and 

 south by extensive sandy beaches. It is cut into by deep bays, 

 which are very possibly rich in marine molluscs. These bays, 

 however, are very difficult of access from Christchurch. 



As a matter of fact, the bulk of these records refer to 

 Lyttelton Harbour and Taylor's Mistake Bay; inasmuch, how- 

 ever, as on the few occasions on which I have collected at other 

 places on the peninsula molluscs that had previously occurred 

 to me very rarely turned up commonly, I have deemed it best 

 to cover the ground by using the more comprehensive title. It 

 may be as well to note that I have included records from the 

 New Brighton Beach : though, strictly speaking, this may not 

 be termed a part of Banks Peninsula, as it is most accessible 

 from Christchurch it has been most thoroughly searched. It 

 is tolerably certain, however, that every species that has been 

 found on the New Brighton Beach could be found on the other 

 beaches of the peninsula, were they as carefully searched. 



Some few molluscs have been recorded from this locality 

 which, at the time of writing, I had not been fortunate in finding. 

 In order to make this contribution as useful as possible, I have 

 incorporated these records, in each instance acknowledging the 

 authority. I have also included molluscs known as estuarine, 

 and which some malacologists dissociate from marine lists. 

 As, however, these are found whilst searching for marine forme, 

 and occur under the same stone as undoubted marine molluscs, 

 I consider this is the correct place to record them. 



Against each mollusc I have noted the station where I have 

 commonly found it living. These remarks, of course, give only 

 a general idea of the station frequented by the mollusc. The 

 majority of molluscs being active creatures, specimens arc often 

 found on stations foreign to their general habits. 



I have adopted Pelsencer's classification, as laid down in 

 vol. v of " A Treatise on ^Zoology," because the new Manual 

 now in preparation by Mr. Suter is following that plan. Having 

 compiled this catalogue with a view to economy of space, con- 

 sistent with thoroughness, I have noted orders and their families 

 only, except in the case of the order Opisthobra?ichia, where. I 



