GENERAL ZOOLOGY. 23 



beautiful species. Greatly to our delight, -we were fortunate enough to find 

 one example of S. Peroni with nearly the whole of the body preserved, but 

 the head and tentacles had been removed. 



Amongst the Prosobranchiate Grasteropoda we found that Fusus Hanleyi, 

 Angas, a shell common in Port Jackson, was exceedingly rare at the island, but 

 of the genus Nassa three species were obtained, JVassa mucronafa, A. Adams, 

 iV. elegans, Kiener, a West Australian shell, and N. paupera^ Gould. These 

 shells were found on the Coral-reef, and on the rocky ledges at Ned's Beach, 

 but they are all rare. Purpura succincta, and its vars. textilosa and striatiis 

 are all characteristic shells on the reef at the foot of Mount Ledgbird, espec- 

 ially P. succincta, with its coarse concentric costae. Next to Turbo imperialis 

 it is the largest univalve we have met with. Purpura amygdala, Kiener, is 

 also obtainable, and is a very interesting shell from its wide distribution 

 from our owa coasts to those of Western Australia. AVherever the nature 

 of the shore permitted an inspection to be made we found Sistrum cJiaidea, 

 Duclos, very common between tide marks on rocks and stones. So also was 

 Cominela [Adamsia') tritoniformis, Blainv. Could an examination of the 

 middle portions and outer face of the reef have been made Voluta would 

 doubtless have proved of more common occurrence. As it was, only three 

 specimens of Voluta nucleus were met with. On the other hand, both on the 

 Coral-reef, and on the basaltic reefs and edges on the east coast, Cowries 

 were tolerably abundant. Cyprcea annulus is common, G. caput serpent is, 

 Linn., is moderately so, but C. stapliylcea, Linn., is not by any means plentiful. 

 C. erones, Linn., occurs in numbers, but Cfelina, Gray, is very rare. Mr. 

 Brazier has recognized what he believes to be one example of Cyprcea moneta, 

 Liun. 



Potamides either exists, or has existed at Lord Howe. A single dead 

 specimen of Potamides ehininus, Brug,, so common on our estuarine shores 

 was picked up. It is remarkable that a mollusc occurring in such numbers 

 when it is met with, should be so rare in the present instance. It may per- 

 haps indicate one of those mysterious disappearances of a species of which 

 several partial instances have occurred in Port .Jackson. 



The Mitrida? are well represented by the genera Mitra, Engina, and 

 GolumbeUa , especially the latter. Of the first genus there is Mitra scutularia, 

 Chem. ?, arare shell, aud another peculiar small species mottled black and white. 

 Both species of Ungina are rare, which is to be regretted, as the xnr maculata 

 of F. lineata, Reeve, is a small but very pretty shell, marked with dark 

 spiral lines and dots. Columbella versicolor, Sby., occurs, but unlike those of 

 this coast and Northern Australia, the individuals are all small. C. Tyleri, 

 Gray, is tolerably common, but the other species are not so. Species 

 of the sub-genus ^sopus was obtained, which may perhaps be new. The 

 reason advanced in the case of the Volutes will also probably account for the 

 paucity of the Cones, as three species only were obtained. Conus anemone 

 Lamk., found under stones and blocks, is the most abundant. C. ehreiis, 

 Brug., the next so, whilst C. coronatus, Dilw., is limited in numbers. 

 Amongst truly tropical shells we obtained at Ned's Beach a few examjjles 

 oi Scalaria perplexa, Pease. The Cerithiida; are represented in the collection 

 by dead shells of Lampania australis, Quoy, all of them distorted. Either 

 it must have entirely got out of its latitude or the immediate physical 

 conditions surrounding the settlement must have been uncongenial. 



One of the commonest shells at Lord Howe, but very local in its distribu- 

 tion, is Planaxis mollis, Sby., always found in some hollow space under a 

 large stone, associated in large numbers. We obtained a quantity in this 

 way on the north-west extension of the Coral-reef in North Bay. 



