SUTER : ON NEW ZEALAND PATELLIDJi;. 347 



Tate & May made P. limbafa, Phil., a synonym, but I prefer to 

 follow Pritchard & Gatliff, who consider it a distinct species, and 

 I have never yet seen New Zealand specimens. Most of the synonyms 

 here given are reproduced on the autiiority of the latter authors. Our 

 specimens agree very well with those I have seen from Australia and 

 Tasmania, and sliow also a great variability. The interior of the shell 

 has narrow to broad dark rays, and the colour of the central area 

 varies from greyish olive to chestnut brown. I have New Zealand 

 specimens in my collection showing almost exactly the same dimensions 

 as those quoted by Pilsbry. 



The dentition is, as far as I am aware, unknown. 



Uab. — Common in Australia and Tasmania. It is very local and 

 rare in New Zealand. I have specimens from near Hokianga and the 

 Hauraki Grulf, Wellington, and the Chatham Islands are mentioned by 

 Hutton. 



3. Helcioniscus kadians (Gmelin). 

 Patella radians, Gmelin: Syst. Nat., vol. xiii, p. 3720 (1879). 



,, arg;/ropsis, Lesson: Voy. Coquille, p. 419 (1830). 



,, pkolidota, Lesson : I.e., p. 420. 



,, r'adiatilis, Hombr. «& Jacq. : Ann. Sci. Nat. (2), vol. xvi, 

 p. 191 (1841). 



,, stwnus, Hombr. »& Jacq. : I.e., p. 191. 



,, fusca, L. : 8yst. Nat., vol. x, p. 784. 



,, sayittata, Donovan: Kees' Encyclop., t. xvi {fide Pilsbry). 

 Helcioniscus radians, Pilsbry: Man. Conch. (1), vol. xiii, p. 139, 

 pi. Ixix, Hgs. 25-28. 



This is a very variable shell, and with regard to synonyms there 

 has been a great confusion. However, by collecting specimens from 

 many localities and comparing them critically, I have been able to 

 greatly reduce the number of synonyms, and to establish six distinct 

 subspecies. 



Pilsbry has given a capital diagnosis of the species. P. pholidota, 

 distinguished only by the divaricating pattern extending over the 

 posterior part of the shell down to the margin, cannot be separated for 

 this reason alone from P. radians. As Hanley and Pilsbry pointed 

 out, Linne's name fusca cannot be used, being " defined in an absurdly 

 inadequate manner." 



The dentition was described and figured by Capt. Hutton in Trans. 

 N. Zeal. Inst., vol. xv, p. 129, pi. xvi, fig. E {argyropsis). The 

 anatomy was described by J". A. Newell in tom. cit , vol. xix, p. 157, 

 pi. xi (1887). 



Jfah. — Throughout New Zealand, but more common on the east 

 coast of the North Island. The Australian habitat, mentioned by 

 Pilsbry, is no doubt a mistake. 



Subsp. argentea, Quoy & Gaimard. 

 Patella argentea, Quoy & Gaimard : Voy. Astrolabe, Zool., vol. iii, 

 p. 345, pi. Ixx, figs. 16, 17 (1834). 

 The specimens obtained by the Erench naturalists were rather small, 

 but much larger examples occur in many localities, especially in the 



