48 On the Atistralicm Haliotidce. 



regions," I confess my perfect ignorance of the meaning 

 of the author. I cannot myself detect a single point 

 or peculiarity of design by which our Australian species 

 can be distinguished from any of the others, but very 

 many in which they perfectly agree. Tor instance, the large 

 volutions of the H. midce, found at the Cape of Good Hope, 

 are precisely the same as those of the common Haliotis ruhra 

 of the Australian seas, while the small numerous depressed 

 spiracles of the American Haliotis Calif or niensis find a 

 perfect counterpart in those of our Haliotis ylahra of 

 Tasmania, here erroneously called H. albicans. The only 

 peculiarity, in short, that can be found among all the Aus- 

 tralian species, noticed as such by Mr. Eeeve, lies in the 

 following : viz. Zf. tricostatus. Lam. Hal. imlcherrima, 

 Auct.j and our Haliotis costata, here erroneously called 

 Hal. Emmce. These three species, together with some 

 others, are indeed so peculiar, that, if not deserving the 

 name of De Montford's genus, Padollus, they ought at 

 least to have formed a separate division of the group, or, at 

 the very least, not to have been confusedly mixed up, as 

 they are here, with the other species. Thus far in regard 

 to the author's ideas of the geographical distribution of these 

 shells, which, in respect to those we have met with in the 

 Australian seas, are the very reverse of correct. I have 

 invariably found that the Chitons and Ear-shells accompany 

 each other on the same coasts, and generally on the same 

 rocks, — but as the former inhabit for the most part such 

 rocks or stones as are always left dry at low water, or at 

 least at neap tides, they are easily detected and collected ; 

 whereas the Ear-shells usually, when old, retire to situations 

 where they axe never exposed to the atmospheric air, and 

 consequently are seldom seen, except by those who know 

 thear peculiar habitat. It is to this cause, and this alone. 



