32G THE FAUNA OF THE EXE ESTUARY. 



INSECTA. 

 COLEOPTERA. 



Heterocekus femoralis {Kics). Very common burrowing in fine 

 loose sand on Cocklesand. Fowler {CoIcojHera of the British Isles, 

 vol. iii. p. 385) gives its habitat as " Banks of ponds and ditches ; 

 not common ; Sheerness, Gravesend, Deal, Hastings, Brighton, 

 Weymouth, Exmouth, Wales, Hunstanton, Cleethorps, Manchester, 

 Prestonmarsh (Lanes.), Lancaster ; Scotland, local, Solway and Forth 

 districts ; Baldoyle (Ireland). Species said to be chiefly maritime." 

 The specimens were identified by Dr. Sharp. 



MOLLUSCA.* 



[Nomenclature: Jeffreys, British CmicJwIogy.] 



Anomia EPHIPPIUM, Linnccvs. Three small ones were taken on the 

 Polesands, adhering to a shell of Trochus magus, and one on the dock 

 wall underneath the stage. 



OsTE.^A EDULis, Liunceus. Three were found on the gravel south- 

 west of Starcross Pier (sta. 7) and a few shells on Polesands. There is 

 no oyster fishery in the Exe. 



Pecten opekculaeis {Linnccus). On Polesands, shells only. 



Pecten maximus {Linnceus). On Polesands, shells only. 



Mytilus edulis, Linnceus. Stray mussels were to be found every- 

 where in the estuary, the centre of distribution being a mussel bank 

 which extends from Checkstone Ledge along the channel nearly to 

 the mouth of the harbour. This bed is composed chiefly of mussels, 

 mussel shells, and pebbles held together by the threads of the byssus 

 of the mussel, thus forming a compact mass. The mussel fishermen, 

 of whom there are about fifty belonging to Lympstone, Powderham, 

 and Starcross, collect the mussels at low water, when they are only 

 covered by two or three fathoms. The instrument used is a rake 

 fixed to a pole 20-25 feet long, and having a wire-net bag attached 

 behind it. The boat is moored by a kedge, and tlie mussels simply 

 raked up from the bottom. When a sufficient number are caught 

 they are taken up the river and laid on the mussel beds, which are on 

 sand banks off Lympstone, Powderham, and Starcross, the Lympstone 

 bed being much the largest. The mussels remain on these beds two 

 to three years, by which time they are of a marketable size. They 

 are then collected, washed, and sold either as bait or for food. The 

 mussel beds are sometimes troubled by a large growth of weed, chiefly 

 Ulva and Enteromorpha, which is kept down by winkles {Littorina 



* Hy R. A. Toui). 



