SWANTOX : SOUTH AFRICAN NOTES. I95 



common shells on the shore at the Bluff, the former with, the latter 

 always without, the animal. Amongst some rocks here I took Sistmm 

 granulatuiii^ Patella rustica, Natica plexa and Turbo coronatus. 



Durban Museum. — The Durban Museum consists of one room 

 only, situated in the Town Hall Buildings. It is greatly overcrowded 

 and none of the exhibits are shewn to advantage. It is proposed to 

 to build a new museum at an early date. The local collection of 

 shells has been greatly enriched by the indefatigable researches of the 

 Conservator, Mr. Quekett, who has succeeded in finding several 

 species in the Bay, which had hitherto been recorded only from the 

 Indian coasts. Perhaps the most interesting of these is Xenophorus 

 corrugafus. Mr. Quekett very kindly gave me a fine example from 

 this locality. Amongst many other exhibits from the Bay I noted : — 



Ostrea rufa 



Cardiiim lima 



Lima hians 



Aixa nivea 



Chania gryphoidcs 



Cytherea ( livela) doIaheJla 



Dosinia hepatica 



Donax exaratus, found by QuekeU. 



D. lubrica 



Clancuiits kraiissi, found liy ()uekett. 



Umbrella indica ,, ,, 



Harpa ventricosa 



Terebra dimidiata 



Fissii7-ella iialaleiisis 



F. hi ant It la 



Solarium maximuDi 



Nassa arcularia 



Ostrea prismatica 



0. cuciillata 



The collection also contains some beautiful examples of the shell of 

 Argonauta argo from the Umhloti River, Natal. 



The Maritzburg Museum. — This Museum is also much over- 

 crowded. It consists of a single room adjoining the Public Reading 

 Room. Here also the authorities are about to build a new Museum, 

 and at a considerable expenditure. The conchological collection has 

 been arranged by Mr. Burnup, the well-known collector, who has 

 given many valuable specimens to it. The shells are mounted on 

 cardboard which is fastened by tacks to the bottom of the cabinet, 

 and as the drawers are always kept locked (except when application is 

 made to the curator by an enthusiast) local people may be pardoned 

 if they do not evince any interest in conchological matters. Nearly all 

 the species which have been found at Durban find a place here. 

 There are fine examples of Conus imperialis and C. textile from the 

 Umtamvuna Beach. Amongst the terrestrial species are Cyclostoma 

 ligatum from the Tugela Valley, and C. insulaie from Malvern. 

 Achatina bu7-nupi, a fine olive-brown shell from the Drakensberg 

 Mountains, with its almost spherical eggs, of the size of a large pea. 

 From the same locality comes Aerope caffra. Livinhacia kraussi from 

 Umkomaas and Durban. Achatina gramilata is frequent in the 

 Maritzburg district. I found it at Howick. 



