87 



SOME CONCHOLOGICAL NOTES ON TASMANIAN 



MOLLUSC A. 



By Mrs. Agnes Kenyon. 



Bead May 2Sth, 1896. 



Tasmanian concholopjists must feel proud of such a noble 

 addition to their marine gasteropoda as Valuta roadknigJitiy a, 

 broken specimen, which must have been of trulj magnificent 

 proportions, 8in. in length by 6in. round, having been found 

 in the neighbourhood of Swansea, East Coast, in 1894, but was 

 not recognised by the finder ; but Mrs. C. J. Irvine, of Laun- 

 ceston, having visited Swansea in April it was given to her. 

 During my late visit to Tasmania I was not lucky enouf^h 

 to make any find of importance, but having found a 

 Corbicula hrunneus at Sandy Bay, if an appendix to E.. M. 

 Johnston's, F.L.S., list is ever published the afiix of " doubt- 

 ful " could be omitted. I also found at Sandy Bay Austina 

 augasi (a different locality is given), and at Eaglehawk Neck 

 a Venus, I think not previously described, but will have this 

 verified. But I should wish now to correct a few errors 

 which, in the hurried perusal of Mr. Johnston's list of 

 mollusca, I have noticed Venus conularis, V. aphrodinoides ; 

 these are two distinct shells. V. lamellata and F. scalarina 

 are two quite distinct shells, and not synonyms as assumed 

 by Mr. Johnston. V. fumigata is not, as stated, a doubtful 

 species ; this I can vouch, as I possess specimens, although 

 not perfect. It is found in only one locality in Victoria, and 

 I am trying to procure some ; if successful [ shall send one 

 over. The difference in appearance between V. lavigata and 

 V. fumigata is very apparent^ umbones prominent, inclining 

 over the lunule, the valves are much more dilated, the 

 posterior grooving, as mentioned by Tenison Woods, being 

 either present or absent in different specimens, one peculiarity 

 which has not been noticed, or at all events on which suffi- 

 cient stress has not been laid. All the specimens I possess, 

 even one of the normal shape of V. lavigata, have thin 

 streaks or "fumes" longitudinally ascending towards the 

 umbones. . I have had quite large specimens of V. lavigata, 

 but they are quite a different shell, being flattened and the 

 umbones wanting in prominence. I also found Venerupis 

 exotica as well as Carditoides, Dosinia ponderosa, and Ihsinia 

 sculpta. The latter I have found both in Tasmania and 

 Victoria, though I believe it has hitherto only been credited 

 as found in New South Wales. 



