AUSTRALIA AND TASMANIA. Gl 



Murex ])almiferus^ Sowerby ; AVhitelegge, List of the Marine aud Fresli 

 Water Invertebrate Pauna of Port Jackson and Neighbourhood, Journal 

 and Proceedings of the Eoyal Society of New South Wales, Vol. XXIII, 

 p. 24G, No. 208, 1889. 



Habitat. — Port AVestern, New Holland. (Quoy et Claimard, 1829.) 

 Sydney. (Dutailly.) New Holland. (M. J. Yerreaux, 1816.) New 

 Caledonia. (M. Deshayes, 1879.) Eed Sea. (Sowerby, 1810.) North 

 Australia. (Eeeve, 1815.) Between Balls Head and Goat Island, IS 

 fathoms, bottom broken shells, stones, and gravel; Point Piper, Middle 

 Harbour, Watson's Bay, under stones at low water spring tides ; Cape 

 Solander, South Head, and Cape Banks, North Head, of Botany Bay; South 

 Head of Crook Haven Eiver, Shoalhaven, found under stones low water 

 springs ; Montague Eoads, Jervis Bay, near the rocks in 5 fathoms ; Nelson 

 Head and Bay, Port Stephens, New South Wales, under stones low water 

 spring tides. (J. Brazier, 1854, 1802.) Woolloomooloo Bay. (G. P. Angas.) 

 Neutral Bay, Port Jackson. (T. Whitelegge.) Teppoon, Keppell Bay, 

 Queensland. (George L. Pilcher, 1887.) Largs Bay, South Australia. 

 (Arnold U. Henn, 1891.) 



I have not seen this species any farther south o£ Sydney than Jervis Bar, 

 where I dredged specimens on October 31, 1874. The specimens said to 

 be obtained by Quoy and Gaimard at Port Western, New Holland (now 

 Victoria), may have been dredged by them. I had not seen any species 

 like it from Southern Australia, until quite recently, when two specimens 

 were obtained from shell debris, by my friend Mr. Arnold U. Henn, at 

 Largs Bay, South Australia, in November, 1891. 



I quote M. M. J. Poirier, from the Nouvelles Archives du Museum 

 D'Histoire Naturelle, j). 65 : '■ This species, of Quoy and Gaimard, mis- 

 understood by all authors, has nearly the same geographical range as 

 M. corriKjatus, So^rby, with which, besides, it has many analogies. It has 

 been remarked on the northern coasts of Australia and in the Eed Sea. It 

 is represented by twelve individuals comiug from Port Western (the types 

 of Quoy and Gaimard, 1829), from Sydney (Coll. Dutailly), from New 

 Holland (M. J. Yerreaux, 1846), and from New Caledonia (M. Deshayes, 

 1874). The M. austral is, Quoy and G., not figured in the atlas of the 

 voyage of the " Astrolabe," has been lost in forgetf ulness by the various 

 writers who have dealt with the genus Murex. Tryon alone admits it, but 

 without recognising its afiSnities, aud he places it among the group of 

 Trihulus. An examination of the types preserved in the ccdlection of the 

 Museum* has shown me that this species is no other than that described bv 

 Sowerby under the name of M. pahniferus. This denomination being tlie 

 latest, ought then to pass into the synonomy." 



* Museum of the Jardiu des Plantes, Paris. 



