46 The South Australian Naturalist. 



A HOLIDAY AT MINLACOWIE. 



Tiirough the kindness of Messrs. J. and C. Bomidy, a small 

 ])arty of naturalists spent a most enjoyable holiday at Minla- 

 cowie, on the west side of Yorke Peninsula. The beach is noted 

 for the great number of shells found on it, and it is estimated 

 that about 300 distinct species could be obtained there. The 

 late Professor Tate considered it one of the richest in the world. 

 Some species are there in millions, and in turning these over 

 one is rewarded by finding uncommon and very rare species, 

 so that the time spent was full of interest. Tlie tides were not 

 very low, but the party, having- gone prepared with old boots 

 and clothes, indulged in wading out on the reefs, and thus 

 obtained shells which are rarely found on the beach, except 

 after violent storms. They were also able to watch and admire 

 crabs, starfish, and echinoderms of many forms and colours. 

 A small octopus, ornamented with circular blue spots, was cap- 

 tured, and closely observed in a glass jar, moving forward by 

 means of tentacles attached to its head, thus admirably illus- 

 trating the meaning of Cephalopoda (''head footed"), the 

 class of Mollusca to which it belongs. It would dart backward 

 very quickly by ejecting water from its siphon into the water. 

 A "cuttlefish" (Sepia apama) seen swimming slowly along 

 showed that, unlike the octopus, it possessed membranous fin- 

 like appendages, with which it moved forward and backward. 

 It is a Decapod, having ten tentacles, two being longer than the 

 remainder. These are ever ready to dart out and catch its 

 food, which consists of fish and crustaceans. If in danger from 

 enemies, it ejects the contents of its inkbag and tries to escape 

 in the dirty water. The pearly nautilus is the only Cephalopod 

 which does not possess an inkbag. Fine specimens of Scutus 

 anatinus were taken alive. This is a mollusc which makes a 

 limpet-shaped shell about three inches long. The animal is 

 black, and almost hides the whole of its shell, into which it 

 cannot withdraw its body. We also got a Pheline angasi 

 ("bubble shell") which makes a very fragile glassy shell to 

 cover its vital organs, but the shell seems to us a very poor 

 protection when it is firmly attached to the back of a much 

 larger white animal. Beautiful specimens of Cyprae angastata 

 (var. bicolor) were obtained. Among the rare shells got on the 

 beach Avere Typhis yatesi, Daphnella fragilis, Akera soluta, 

 Voluta fulgetrum, Cyprae thersites, Spondylus tenellus, Anatina 

 angasi, Solen vaginoides, Cytherea disjecta, and Chione galli- 



