THE RECENT MOLLUSCA OF TASMANIA. 108 



the North Coast, but not very plentifully nowadays, its size 

 and elongated form distinguishing it from any other recent 

 Cyprcea found in Tasmania, whilst it resembles the fossil 

 C. eximia (Sowerby), which occurs at Table Cape and else- 

 where in this Island ; but C. umbilicata is much larger. 



The well-known '' Mutton-shells " — one would be hardly 

 complimentary to the goddess in calling the large repre- 

 sentatives of the Haliotidce " Venus' Ears," the name that 

 some of the smaller species bear in Europe — may a'so oe 

 numbered among the giant molluscs of our shores. Hali- 

 otis albicans (Q. and G.), with H. naevosa (Martyn), pro- 

 bably afforded many a good feed for the aborigines in days 

 gone by. Some white folks profess a liking for this 

 " marine mutton," but opinions differ as to the desirability 

 of adding such an item to the usual bill of fare. Scallops, 

 mussels, and " Warreners " are more favoured, while many 

 other species would probably be found very good if one had 

 but the courage to try them. Oysters, which, apparently, 

 were plentiful in the days of the aborigines, are sadly scarce 

 now. A former resident of Stanley, Circular Head, told 

 me of an enormous number having once been washed up on 

 the beaches in that neighbourhood, when he was a boy. 



Fasciolaria coronata (Lamarck), Siphonalia dilatata (Q. 

 and G.), Ranella argus (Gmelin), Furpura textiliosa (La- 

 marck), Conus anemone (Lamarck), Scutus anatinus (Dono- 

 van), Murex triformis (Keeve), Nerita punctata (Q. and G.), 

 Cassis achatina var. pyruin (Lamarck), G. semigranosa 

 (Wood), Goluinhella seiniconvexa (Lamarck), Cyprcea an- 

 gustata (Gmelin), Trivia australis (Gray), Marginella 7?ius- 

 caria (Lamarck), Turritella tasmanica (Reeve), PhasianeUa 

 cmstralis (Gmelin), P. ventricosa (Q. and G.), Turbo undu- 

 lata (Martyn), Cantharkltis badius (Wood), Cantharidus 

 fasciatus (Menke), Calliostoma meyeri (Menke), Clanculus 

 unclatus (Lamarck), C. limbatus (Q. and G.), Patdla lim- 

 bata (Philippi), Acmcea crucis (Tenison- Woods), A. alba 

 (Ibid), Subemarginula rugosa (Q. and G.), Macroschisma 

 weldii (Tenison- Woods), Mcgatebennus trapezinns (Sower- 

 by), Mitra glabra (Swainson), and many other species of 

 these, and other genera of Gasteropoda, are to be found 

 more or less in profusion. 



Of Polyplacophora, Chitons, we have several species, 

 the prettily-marked Ischnochiton crispus (Reeve) and Chiton 

 peUisserpentis (Q. and G.) being abundant. The hand- 

 somest representative of the order is the scarce CcJlochiton 

 lobatus (Carpenter), with its smooth shell and broad mantle 

 of dark reddish-brown contrasting well with the rich orange 

 colour of ^he animal. 



