BY J. C. COX, M.D., F L.S. 125 



East Coast of New South Wales. This is the species which Angas 

 gave in his list of the species of Marine Mollusca, found in Port 

 Jackson, already referred to in the Proc. Zool. Soc, Lond., for 

 1867, page 934, as Ostrea purpurea, Hanley, a variety of Ostrea 

 edulis, of Linn., and did so on Mr. Hanley 's authority — an 

 authority of no mean importance, and which should have great 

 weight in determining this vexed question. It has however, since 

 been created into a distinct species by Sowerby, and I am willing 

 to adopt this decision as final. Sowerby says that the sculpture 

 of it is much less coarse than in equally large specimens of Ostrea 

 edulis, Linn., and the upper valve is more convex than in edulis. 

 Angas says that it differs from edulis by the laminate scales 

 being much larger and more regularly filled, and the valves are 

 dentate at the margins. 



The largest s^^ecimens of this species found in the waters of 

 New South Wales measure about six inches in diameter. 



This species is now comparatively very rare, I say comparatively, 

 for judging from the masses of this shell in the old camp ovens 

 of the aborigines, along the shores of our river mouths and bays, 

 it must have yielded an abundant supply of food in former days to 

 those tribes which have now almost disappeared from amongst us. 



I am of opinion that this is the same species of shell as is found 

 in Tasmania, and which is recorded in the list of Tasmanian shells 

 by the Eev. J. E. Tenison- Woods as Ostrea edulis, Linn. ; the 

 specimens found in Tasmania however are much larger and more 

 ponderous than the shells of those found here ; some from 

 Tasmania exhibited at the late Universal Exhibition in Sydney, 

 measured over seven inches in breadth. By adopting the name 

 of Aiigasi we get rid of the species, 0. edulis and its varieties, 0. 

 purpurea, and 0. rutupinairovc\. owe li^i. It is now extremely rare 

 to see this species exhibited for sale in the shop windows of our 

 fishmongers, which is to be regretted, as it is considered by many 

 of superior quality to our other oysters ; it would be well worth 



