﻿170 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  MALACOLOGICAL 
  SOCIKTT. 
  

  

  inhabiting 
  those 
  localities, 
  I 
  thought 
  tliat 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  my 
  

   Tcsearches 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  carried 
  ou 
  systematically 
  for 
  the 
  last 
  

   six 
  years 
  would 
  be 
  of 
  some 
  interest, 
  especially 
  to 
  future 
  investigators, 
  

   in 
  this 
  class 
  of 
  our 
  marine 
  fauna. 
  I 
  tlierefore 
  begin 
  by 
  giving 
  a 
  list 
  

   of 
  the 
  species 
  found 
  by 
  me 
  in 
  the 
  locality 
  where 
  my 
  first 
  researches 
  

   were 
  made, 
  namely 
  Marsascirocco 
  Harbour. 
  

  

  Tliis 
  harbour 
  faces 
  the 
  south-east. 
  It 
  extends 
  more 
  than 
  1^ 
  miles 
  

   inland, 
  whilst 
  its 
  breadth 
  is 
  about 
  2 
  miles. 
  The 
  greatest 
  depth 
  is 
  about 
  

   16 
  fathoms. 
  The 
  bottom 
  varies 
  considerabl}'-, 
  the 
  coast 
  is 
  more 
  or 
  

   less 
  deeply 
  indented, 
  forming 
  several 
  beautiful 
  inlets, 
  so 
  that 
  a 
  shol't 
  

   description 
  will 
  be 
  of 
  some 
  interest. 
  

  

  Leaving 
  Delimara 
  Point, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  extremity 
  ou 
  the 
  right-hand 
  

   side, 
  we 
  enter 
  the 
  creek 
  of 
  Marsascirocco, 
  a 
  fishermen's 
  village 
  from 
  

   which 
  the 
  whole 
  harbour 
  takes 
  its 
  nuuie. 
  This 
  creek 
  is 
  about 
  

   one 
  mile 
  long 
  and 
  about 
  half 
  a 
  mile 
  broad. 
  Its 
  bottom 
  is 
  for 
  the 
  

   greater 
  part 
  weedy, 
  its 
  innermost 
  part 
  being 
  muddy. 
  In 
  the 
  fish- 
  

   ponds 
  whicli 
  exist 
  on 
  the 
  right-hand 
  side 
  Ilissoafusca, 
  R. 
  microvietrica, 
  

   and 
  Cerithiiim 
  conicum 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  myriads, 
  and 
  Cardium 
  rusticiim, 
  

   which 
  is 
  very 
  abundant 
  in 
  the 
  muddy 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  creek, 
  grows 
  

   to 
  an 
  exceptionally 
  large 
  size 
  within 
  these 
  ponds. 
  

  

  The 
  next 
  inlet 
  is 
  Gala 
  San 
  Giorgio, 
  or 
  San 
  Giioigio 
  a 
  Mare, 
  

   with 
  its 
  innermost 
  portion 
  commonly 
  called 
  "II 
  Ghain". 
  This 
  

   double 
  depression 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  is 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  creek 
  of 
  

   ^farsascirocco 
  by 
  a 
  tongue 
  of 
  land, 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  

   promontory 
  of 
  St. 
  Lucian. 
  Ci/prcea 
  liirida 
  is 
  rather 
  frequently 
  found 
  

   on 
  the 
  shore 
  below 
  this 
  promontoiy. 
  

  

  The 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  outer 
  part 
  of 
  Gala 
  San 
  Giorgio 
  is 
  mostly 
  muddy 
  

   and 
  weedy, 
  the 
  shallow 
  parts 
  and 
  the 
  beach 
  being 
  covered 
  with 
  

   a 
  very 
  fine 
  sand. 
  Capsa 
  fragilis 
  once 
  occurred 
  in 
  great 
  abundance 
  

   here, 
  but 
  now 
  not 
  even 
  its 
  valves 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  met 
  with. 
  Tellina 
  

   planata^ 
  though 
  ratlier 
  scarce, 
  is 
  still 
  obtainable 
  in 
  this 
  sandy 
  bottom, 
  

   and 
  after 
  strong 
  sciroccos 
  its 
  valves 
  can 
  be 
  picked 
  up 
  on 
  the 
  sandy 
  

   beach. 
  

  

  The 
  bottom 
  of 
  "II 
  Ghain" 
  is 
  either 
  miubly 
  or 
  shingly. 
  Capsa 
  

   fragilis 
  was 
  also 
  once 
  common 
  to 
  this 
  locality, 
  though 
  only 
  its 
  valves 
  

   are 
  now 
  noticeable. 
  According 
  to 
  the 
  older 
  fishermen 
  two 
  species 
  of 
  

   Tapes 
  were 
  also 
  common 
  in 
  tliis 
  bottom 
  ; 
  of 
  these, 
  however, 
  there 
  

   is 
  not 
  the 
  faintest 
  sign 
  at 
  present. 
  Cerithium 
  lima 
  is 
  in 
  some 
  years 
  

   found 
  in 
  countless 
  numbers 
  in 
  some 
  weedy 
  patches 
  in 
  this 
  locality, 
  

   but 
  in 
  other 
  years 
  it 
  somehow 
  seems 
  to 
  disappear 
  altogether. 
  

   .i 
  broad 
  tongue 
  of 
  land 
  called 
  "IlGzira" 
  divides 
  "II 
  Ghain" 
  from 
  

   the 
  next 
  bay, 
  known 
  as 
  Birzebbugia, 
  the 
  finest 
  bay 
  of 
  Marsascirocco 
  

   Harbour 
  and 
  a 
  very 
  popular 
  summer 
  resort. 
  The 
  bottom 
  of 
  this 
  

   place 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  the 
  finest 
  silvery 
  sand 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  these 
  islands. 
  

   In 
  it 
  Mactra 
  stultorum 
  is 
  generally 
  found 
  in 
  good 
  numbers. 
  Tellina 
  

   planata 
  is 
  also 
  frequent, 
  wliile 
  Vetius 
  gallina 
  and 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  species 
  

   of 
  Donax 
  have 
  been 
  known 
  to 
  occur 
  also 
  plentifully 
  during 
  some 
  

   5'ears. 
  Nassa 
  uiutahilis 
  is 
  ])rocurable 
  in 
  fairly 
  large 
  numbers 
  from 
  

   this 
  sandy 
  bottom 
  ; 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  specimens, 
  however, 
  though 
  

   generally 
  in 
  fine 
  condition, 
  are 
  dead, 
  and 
  mo.stly 
  inhabited 
  bv 
  

  

  