1901,] MOTHBB-OF-PBAEL OYSTERS. 379 



land, usually witli a goldeu margin; while the three 31alayan 

 varieties " Manilla "' (Sulu Seas and Philippines), " ^lergui," and 

 "Macassar" are usually coloured deep yellow-ochre or brown, with 

 a bi'oad golden border to the nacre, and abundance of " fire," /. c. 

 many-coloured iridescence. 



Ocograpldcal Distrilmtion. All along N. coast of Australia ; 

 E. coast as far south as Towusville (but not in quantities any where 

 south of Cooktow n) ; W. coast as far as 20° south in payable 

 quantities, and sparingly as far south as 25° (for above details as 

 to southern limits I am indebted to Mr. E. Munro of Thursday 

 Island). In suitable localities off the coasts of New Gruinea and 

 the surrounding islands, the D'Entrecasteaux, the Louisiades, New 

 Britain, and the Solomon Islands. It is found in many localities 

 throughout the Malay Archipelago ; the Aru Islands, coasts of 

 Borneo, Sulu Seas, Philippines, Macassar, Mergui, &c. In the 

 Indian Ocean proper it is unknown, and I cannot find any authentic 

 record of its range extending far into the Pacific. 



[My friend Mr. S. Pace has drawn my attention to the presence 

 of hinge-teeth as an occasional character in the young of this 

 species. A slight thickening of the hinge posterior to the liga- 

 ment, in grown examples, may well be a trace of the oblitei^ated 

 lateral.] 



Division 2, Hmge with one or hvo minute tubercular teetli anterior 

 to ligament ; and a small elongated lateral tooth, running from 

 the hinge, jwsterior to ligament, for a short distance on the 

 surface of the nacre. 



Section a. Shell massive, contorted, irregular in outline. Anterior 

 margin ivith a very broad notch, ventral to rostrum ; posterior 

 margin entire or slightly sinuate, posterior process of hinge 

 absent. Teeth feebly represented in the young shell, lost ivith 

 age. 



Species 3. Maegaeixifeea capensis. 



Avicida (Meleagrina) margaritifera, L., var., Dunker, 1872, 

 p. 58, tab. 20. figs. 1 & 2 ; Algoa Bay. 



Avicida (Meleagrina) capensis, Sowerby, 1889, p. 158, pi. iii. 

 fig. 10 ; S. Africa. 



Specimens in the British Museum from Bazaruto IsL, E.Africa 

 {J. H. Ponsonby, Esq.), and Port Elizabeth (J. IT. Ponsonby,Esq.). 



I can find no evidence of this species having ever found its way 

 into the London Mother-of-Pearl markets. The thick massive 

 shell should be of service for the manufacture of some of the 

 articles for which M. maxima is used, but the dull, somewhat 

 porcellaneous lustre of the nacre would naturally detract greatly 

 from its value. 



