3D 
is curved and comes to a finer point. Its length is about two 
inches. I have found over a dozen live specimens washed up on 
Buffalo Beach, in Mercury Bay. 
TELLINA GLABRELLA (Plate VIII.).—Fig. 19 is a smooth 
white, or pale yellow, shell, 3 inches in length, with a thin brown 
epidermis on the outer edge. The interior is chalky white. It 
is found on ocean beaches, but is also common on cockle banks 
in harbours. It lives some inches below the surface. Dead shells 
are found in considerable numbers, but the live ones are rare. 
The Maoris call this shell Hohehohe or Ku waru or Peraro. The 
name Hohehohe is also given to the Panopea (Plate VIII., Fig. 3). 
TELLINA DISCULUS (Plate VIII.).—Fig. 20 is a clean 
smooth yellowish-white shell, with a bright yellow centre, the 
interior being the same colour as the exterior. Its length is 14 
inches, and it is found only in the North Island. 
TELLINA ALBA (Plate VIII.).—Fig. 21 is a very thin, 
flat, nearly transparent, glistening white shell, the interior being 
the same colour. Its length is 24 inches, and it is found on sandy 
ocean beaches in both Islands. The native name for this shell 
is Hohehohe, which name is also used for the Tellina glabrella. 
TELLINA STRANGEI (Plate VIII.).—Fig. 22 (late Tellina 
subovata) is a whitish shell, similar to the Tellina alba, but more 
globose. It is under an inch long. 
MESODESMA VENTRICOSA (Plate VIII.).—Fig. 23 (late 
Paphia ventricosa) is an opaque white, solid, smooth shell, found 
in the North Island, especially on the ocean beach near Kaipara. 
It is one of the many useful food molluscs we have. In the Kai- 
para district the natives take horses and ploughs on to the beach, 
and plough up the Mesodesma ventricosa like potatoes. Under 
the native name of Toheroa, a factory at Dargaville preserves 
these bivalves in tins. The specimen photographed was only a 
half-grown shell. In the Bay of Plenty I have found this shell 
seven inches long and extremely solid and heavy, and I am inclined 
to think from the shape and structure of the valve that the Bay 
of Plenty Mesodesma is different from the Ventricosa; but I never 
secured a live one while in Tauranga. 
