﻿DESPOTT 
  : 
  MOLLUSCA 
  OF 
  MARSASCIROCCO 
  HAllBOUK, 
  MALTA. 
  I7l 
  

  

  a 
  peculiar 
  hermit 
  crab. 
  Fissurella 
  grceca 
  was 
  for 
  two 
  consecutive 
  

   years 
  (1912-13) 
  comtnon 
  along 
  the 
  rocky 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  beach 
  of 
  

   Jiirzebbiigia, 
  but 
  is 
  now 
  very 
  rarely 
  met 
  with, 
  and 
  Mtjtilus 
  minimum, 
  

   wliich 
  once 
  literally 
  covered 
  the 
  rocky 
  shore, 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  almost 
  

   extinct. 
  

  

  Leaving 
  Birzebbugia, 
  after 
  passing 
  a 
  straight 
  and 
  almost 
  regular 
  

   rocky 
  coast 
  about 
  a 
  (^[uarter 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  long 
  known 
  locally 
  as 
  

   "Is-Salini" 
  (the 
  salt-puns), 
  we 
  come 
  to 
  Wied 
  il 
  Buui. 
  The 
  

   nature 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  here 
  varies 
  also 
  considerably. 
  In 
  some 
  parts 
  

   it 
  is 
  shingly 
  or 
  muddy, 
  in 
  others 
  rocky 
  or 
  weedy, 
  whilst 
  its 
  inner- 
  

   most 
  portion 
  is 
  encumbered 
  with 
  ])oulders 
  of 
  various 
  sizes, 
  mostlj' 
  

   embedded 
  in 
  patches 
  of 
  small 
  pebbles 
  and 
  sand. 
  Here 
  dead 
  

   speoiinens 
  of 
  Truchus 
  adansoni 
  can 
  be 
  collected 
  in 
  fair 
  numbers, 
  and 
  

   with 
  them 
  shells 
  of 
  Gihbula 
  nivosa 
  are 
  also 
  frequent. 
  Bornia 
  

   corbuloides, 
  too, 
  during 
  some 
  years 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  fair 
  numbers 
  adherijig 
  

   to 
  the 
  larger 
  pebbles 
  ; 
  and 
  amongst 
  the 
  weeds 
  in 
  the 
  deeper 
  portion 
  of 
  

   this 
  inlet 
  Pinna 
  nobilis 
  is 
  conimon. 
  Beyond 
  Wied 
  il 
  Euni 
  there 
  is 
  

   another 
  straight 
  rocky 
  bciich 
  equal 
  in 
  length 
  to 
  the 
  one 
  from 
  

   Birzebbugia 
  to 
  Wied 
  il 
  Biini. 
  This 
  beach, 
  however, 
  has 
  been 
  lately 
  

   converted 
  into 
  a 
  wliarf. 
  Along 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  3hirex 
  

   cdwardsii 
  and 
  Pisaiiia 
  maculosa 
  used 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  large 
  numbers, 
  

   with 
  Troclms 
  turhinatus, 
  T. 
  articnlatm, 
  and 
  T, 
  dirariratus. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  this 
  tract 
  tlierc^ 
  is 
  the 
  once 
  beautiful 
  cove 
  of 
  Cahi 
  

   Frana, 
  which 
  has 
  unfortunately 
  been 
  so 
  modified 
  that 
  it 
  cannot 
  be 
  

   called 
  beautiful 
  any 
  more. 
  The 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  this 
  little 
  

   ba)^ 
  is 
  also 
  varied, 
  but 
  for 
  the 
  greater 
  pai't 
  it 
  is 
  sandy 
  and 
  weedy, 
  lleie 
  

   Solemya 
  togata 
  was 
  rather 
  common, 
  but 
  now 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  probably 
  

   e.x:tinct. 
  Valves 
  of 
  Ta'pea 
  nitens 
  were 
  also 
  obtained 
  here 
  in 
  large 
  

   numbers, 
  showing 
  that 
  the 
  species 
  used 
  to 
  be 
  common 
  enough. 
  

  

  Next 
  to 
  Gala 
  Frana 
  comes 
  another 
  tract 
  uf 
  rocky 
  coast, 
  which, 
  

   running 
  down 
  to 
  tlie 
  left 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  harbour, 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  Binghisa 
  

   Point. 
  Along 
  this 
  sliore 
  Fasciolaria 
  ligyiaria 
  is 
  generally 
  common, 
  

   and 
  Purpura 
  hcemasfoma 
  is 
  frequently 
  met 
  with. 
  

  

  The 
  list 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  MoUusca 
  wliich 
  linve 
  been 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  

   Marsascirocco 
  Harbour 
  is 
  as 
  follows: 
  — 
  

  

  1. 
  Anoiniii 
  ephifipinui, 
  L. 
  Not 
  common, 
  found 
  attached 
  to 
  stones, 
  

  

  shells, 
  andotlier 
  objects 
  dredged 
  fiom 
  various 
  dej)ths. 
  

  

  2. 
  Anomia 
  pateUifor))iis,lj. 
  Very 
  scarce 
  ; 
  its 
  valves 
  are 
  occasionally 
  

  

  found 
  in 
  shingly 
  corners. 
  

  

  3. 
  Ostrea 
  lamellosa, 
  Brocc. 
  Valves 
  are 
  occasionally 
  foiind 
  along 
  the 
  

  

  beach 
  ; 
  the 
  species, 
  however, 
  is 
  undoubtedly 
  rare 
  in 
  the 
  

   locality. 
  

  

  4. 
  Spondtjlus 
  gaderopufi, 
  L. 
  Very 
  rare. 
  I 
  have 
  only 
  met 
  with 
  this 
  

  

  species 
  twice 
  in 
  the 
  living 
  state 
  ; 
  its 
  valves, 
  however, 
  are 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  frequently 
  dredged 
  on 
  gravelly 
  bottoms, 
  and 
  are 
  also 
  

   occasionally 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  sandy 
  beaches. 
  

   0. 
  Pecten 
  varius, 
  L. 
  Some 
  valves 
  have 
  been 
  obtained 
  from 
  a 
  

   shingly 
  and 
  sandy 
  bottom, 
  8 
  to 
  10 
  fathoms. 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  yet 
  

   met 
  with 
  a 
  single 
  living 
  specimen. 
  

  

  