MOLLUSCA FROM THTliSDAY ISLAND AND 

 CLEVELAND BAY. 



By John Shirley, D.Sc, F.M.S., 

 Corresponding Member of the Royal Society o? Tasmania, &c. 



{Bead before the Royal Society of Queensland, 24th September, 



1917). 



(i) Thursday Island Mollusca. 



A very large parcel of marine shells, gathered by Mr. 

 Paul Guilletmot of Thursday Island, was received by me 

 recently. The bivalves are rather thinly represented, but 

 there is a good representation of local univalves, and from 

 the whole supply over 120 species were obtained. This 

 opportunity is taken to express my thanks to Mr. Guillet- 

 mot for the time and energy devoted in collection, and to 

 Mr. McKenna, District Inspector of Schools, for directing 

 the attention of teachers of coastal schools to opportunities 

 for nature study afforded by the littoral fauna. 



There is a strong resemblance between the faunas of 

 Thursday Island and Murray Island, as one would naturally 

 expect, but there are also marked differences. Cerithium 

 piperitum Sby. one of the commonest shells of Murray 

 Island, exhibiting numerous varieties of shape and 

 decoration, is in the Thursday Island collection conspicuous 

 hy its absence. On the other hand Peristernia australiensis 

 E/ve. with its striking decoration of square spots between 

 the raised ribs, is much more common on the Thursday 

 Island beach. 



The genera most fully represented are Cerithium, 

 Cyprcea and Conus. This does not prove that they are the 

 dominant factors in the fauna, but that their striking 

 sculpture or ornamentation attracts the attention of the 

 collector. 



