THE RECENT KOLLUSCA OF TASMANIA. 103 



the North Coast, but not very plentifully nowadays, its size 

 and elongated form distingaiishing it from any other recent 

 Gyprcea found in Tasmania, whilst it resembles the fossil 

 G. eximia (Sowerby), which occurs at Table Cape and else- 

 where in this Island; but G. uinhilicata Is much larger. 



The well-known "Mutton-shells" — one would be hardly 

 complimentary to the goddess in calling the large repre- 

 sentatives of the Haliotidce ''Venus' Ears," the name that 

 some of the smaller species bear in Europe — may also oe 

 numbered among the giant molluscs of our shores. Hali- 

 otis albicans (Q. and G.), with H. naevosa (Martyn), pro- 

 bably afforded many a good feed for the aborigines in days 

 gone by. Some white folks profess a liking for this 

 " marine mutton," but opinions differ as to the desirability 

 of adding such an item to the usual bill of fare. Scallops, 

 mussels, and " Warreners " are more favoured, while many 

 other species would probably be foimd very good if one had 

 but the courage to try them. Oysters, which, apparently, 

 were plentiful in the days of tli& aborigines, are sadly scarce 

 now. A former resident of Stanley, Circular Head, told 

 me of an enormous number having once been washed up on 

 the beaches in that neighbourhood, when he was a boy. 



Fasciolaria coronata (Lamarck), S-iphonalia dilatata (Q. 

 and G.), Rnnella argus (Gmelin), Purpura textiliosa (La- 

 marck), Goniis anemone (Lamarck), Sciitiis anatinus (Dono- 

 van), Murex trifo'rmis (E^eeve), Nerita punctata (Q. and G.), 

 Gassis achatina var. pyruiii (Lamarck), G. seniigranosa 

 (Wood), Gol'umhella semiconvexa (Lamarck), Gyprcea an- 

 gustata (Gmelin), Trivia aust rails (Gray), Marginella inus- 

 caria (Lamarck), Turritellct tasmanica (Reeve), Phasianella 

 atistralis (Gmelin), P. ventricosa (Q. and G.), Turbo undu- 

 lata (Martyn), Gantharidus badiiis (Wood), Gantharidus 

 fasciatns (Menke), Galliostoma meyen (Menke), Glancidus 

 unclatus (Lamarck), G. limbatus (Q. and G.), Patella lim- 

 bata (Philippi), Acmcea crucis (Tenison- Woods), A. alba 

 (Ibid), S'ubemargi?ivla rugosa (Q. and G.), Macroschisma 

 weldii (Tenison- Woods), Megatebennus trapeziniis (Sower- 

 by), Mitra glabra (Swainson), and many other species of 

 these, and other genera of Gasteropoda, are to be fonnd 

 more or less in profusion. 



Of Polyplacophora, Ghitons, we have several species, 

 the prettily-marked Ischnochiton crispus (Reeve) and Ghiton 

 pellisserpentis (Q. and G.) being abundant. The hand- 

 somest repi-esentative of the order is the scarce Gallochifon 

 lobatus (Carpenter), with its smooth shell and broad mantle 

 of dark reddish-brown contrasting well with the rich orange 

 colour of <he animal. 



