THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 209 



None of these being of special interest except Patella limbata, 

 which has only been recorded previously for Victoria from Cape 

 Otway, though this species is common enough along the north 

 coast of Tasmania ; it was therefore of considerable interest to 

 find it fairly plentiful along this part of our coast. 



Oberon Bay was our next collecting ground, and one which 

 proved highly interesting from many points of view. Hemmed 

 in on both sides by a rugged weather-worn granite coast, with a 

 very heavy shingle and occasional rock-pools, there is opportunity 

 here again of observing the ordinary rock-loving species, but in 

 the pools at low tide there is ample opportunity for gathering a 

 far richer fauna. The latter reminds one strongly of the reef- 

 collecting at Shoreham, Western Port, and one of the most 

 striking features even to casual observation is the enormous 

 number of Chitons on almost every stone overturned, about 

 three dozen to the stone being not infrequent. Then there is 

 also the fine broad stretch of sandy beach at the head of the 

 bay, and as the bay is very shallow for a long distance from the 

 shore, low tide here, with a favourable wind off the land, enables 

 one to see to perfection many of the sand-burrowing species in 

 their natural surroundings. Meretrix paucilamellata, Dunker, 

 is especially abundant at this locality, and Donax deltoides, 

 Lamarck, Glycimeris radians, Lamarck, young shells of Natica 

 conica, Lamarck, and N. incei, Philippi, Marginellas, and 

 Bankivia fasciata, Menke, may also be conveniently studied. The 

 beach at and above high tide was very disappointing, especially 

 when one saw so much living material in the neighbourhood. 

 This may, however, be accounted for by the fact that during the 

 whole of our stay the wind was easterly, and a considerable 

 amount of fine sand was being moved from the land seawards, 

 and a good shelly beach could thus be made to appear very 

 barren. It is not unlikely but that there are favourable times 

 when this beach would be extremely profitable. 



From Oberon Bay we went across to Waterloo Bay, and it has 

 been said that there is a striking contrast in the shells from these 

 two localities. I cannot say that this struck me. In Waterloo 

 Bay there is deeper water, and not the gentle shelving out so 

 noticeable in Oberon Bay, and this would no doubt permit of the 

 occurrence of a few species in the former not noticeable in the 

 latter. The rock-loving species are identical in both, but I had 

 no opportunity of examining any rock-pools on the Waterloo 

 Bay side, while the sand-loving species were mainly identical, 

 and no species were obtained which have not previously been 

 abundantly taken at Anderson's Inlet, Western Port, or Port 

 Phillip. In view of the fact that much stress has been laid on 

 Wilson's Promontory forming |)art of an old Bassian isthmus, a 

 comparative view of all the shells taken from either side will not 

 be devoid of interest. 



