179 



DESCEIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF CAS SIDE A. 

 By Tom Ieedale. 

 Read 12th June, 1914. 

 The circumstances surrounding the discovery of the shell here 

 described seem worthy of record. Upon arrival at the Kermadecs 

 inquiry was made of the only settlers on the island as to the shell 

 fauna known to them, Mr. lloy Bell then brought me the specimen 

 figured as having been picked up a few weeks before on the north 

 coast. Ignorant of the Indo-Pacific fauna, it was simply noted as 

 quite new to me, and was preserved, as, though not quite perfect, it 

 was a readily determinable shell, and I have always worked upon the 

 two mottoes, "A shell in the hand is worth fifty in the sea" and 



h nat. size. 



" An imperfect shell is better than none at all ". It was placed on 

 a shelf together with other large dead shells, such as pieces of Mitra 

 mitra (Linne), Alata aratrum (Martyn), Charoma rubicunda (Perry), 

 etc. During the year a few fragments were cast np on the beach, 

 but no more perfect specimen was obtained. Therefore I had been 

 justified in carefully (!) preserving this imperfect shell. 



Upon asking Mr. Charles Hedley, in Sydney, what its name might 

 be, my shock can be imagined when his reply was that it was quite 

 unknown to him. He advised me to search at the British Museum, 

 to which place I was bound, but that my Cassid was almost certainly 

 uudescribed. His suggestion proved correct, and the species is such 

 a magnificent addition to the unarmed group that I can no longer 

 withhold its nomination. 



