492 Transactions. 



The three species A. gaymardi, A. quoyi, and A. ventricosum are associ- 

 ated together under the subgenus Taria in the British Museum. 



Amphidesma 'quoyi (Deshayes, 1832). [P. 958.] 



Add: Mesodesma quoyi Deshayes, Ency. Meth. Vers., vol. ii, p. 443, 

 1832 ; M. lata Deshayes in Guerin's Mag. Zool. Moll., 1843, pi. 80. 



This distinct species is confused in Suter's description of Mesodesma 

 ventricosum, while the .second name is placed in the synonymy of Suter's 

 Mesodesma subtriangulatum. Dall wrote that he could not trace the first 

 name, though it occurred in the same place as the genus-name which he 

 quoted as having referred to ! The description given is good, and the 

 words " l'impression du retracteur cles siphons est tres-courte " fixes 

 the identity of the species later figured by Deshayes as M. lata. Many 

 specimens are here collected by Bolten, Stokes, &c. : they are all named 

 "lata," as distinct from " ventricosa," which they superficially resemble in 

 size and shape. A. ventricosa Gray is longer and narrower than A. quoyi 

 Deshayes, and approaches A. gaimardi in shape. A. quoyi Deshayes has 

 the posterior slope flattened, while in A. ventricosa the posterior slope is 

 bicarinate. In A. quoyi Deshayes the siphonal inflection is not deep, 

 whilst in A. ventricosa Gray it is very deep. Suter, in his definition of 

 Taria (p. 958), writes, " pallial sinus well marked, sometimes deep " ; 

 but in the species ' M. ventricosum " he only describes the latter case. 

 Otherwise his description seems to apply to both species, as he does not 

 mention the bicarinate posterior slope, which is distinctly marked in true 

 " ventricosa.'' 



A. quoyi Deshayes would enter the same subgenus as A. gaimardi Des- 

 hayes, but there does not superficially seem subgeneric distinction between 

 these and A. ventricosum. the deeper siphonal inflection being the most 

 marked feature. 



Fam. Veneridae Leach. [P. 975.] 



In this family the nomenclature is that proposed by Dall. This remark 

 refers, of course, to the nomination of the higher groups only. Jukes- 

 Browne, just before his death, completed a synopsis of the family, based 

 upon and severely criticizing Dall's work. This appeared in the Proc. Mai. 

 Soc. (Lond.), vol. xi, pp. 58-94, 1914, and, as this is not generally accessible 

 to the Neozelanic student, I here give a sketch as far as it concerns Neo- 

 zelanic forms. I would point out that Jukes-Browne's work cannot be 

 accepted in toto. Nevertheless, it is possible that a study of Jukes-Browne's 

 papers in conjunction with Dall's results will show that some of the 

 former's corrections are necessary. As, however, Jukes-Brown was de- 

 pendent upon second-hand information for much of his data, and did not 

 commonly use a microscope, there is still much to be done in connection 

 with these shells. I have given Jukes-Browne's classification, so that com- 

 parison can be instituted, and that the New-Zealander may be aware that 

 there has been diversity of opinion regarding the grouping of these shells. 

 Jukes-Brown's system would therefore read- 

 Family Veneridae. 



Genus Callista Morch (after Poli). 



Callista multi striata (Sowerby. 1851). 

 Genus Dosinia Scopoli, 1777. 



Section Austrodosinia Dall. 1902. 

 Dosinia amis (Philippi. 1848). 



