THE MOLLUSCA HEDLEY. 



429 



STROMBUS SAMAR, Dillwyn. 

 Tryon, loc. cit., p. 121, pi. viii., fig. 88. 

 Mr. G. Sweet procured one specimen. 



STROMBUS LUHUANUS, Linne. 

 Tryon, loc. cit., p. 122, pi. viii., figs. 91, 92. 



Abundant alive on sandy patches between rocks in the lagoon 

 of Funafuti. The natives call it " paneia " and esteem it as 

 food. 



Tryon quotes it from New Guinea and Fiji, and Melvill and 

 Standen from Lifu. It extends along the Australian coast south 

 to Sydney.* 



PTEROCERA AURANTIA, Lamarck. 

 Tryon, loc. cit., p. 124, pi. ix., fig. 5. 



One imperfect but recognisable specimen from Funafuti. 



Schmeltz quotes this from Samoa and the Carolines.! It is in 

 this Museum from Fiji. 



PTEROCERA BYRONIA, Gmelin. 



(Fig. 18). 

 Tryon, loc. cit., p. 124. 



A native guided me to the haunt of this 

 mollusc, a gravel fiat on the western side of 

 the lagoon, on which the water was waist- 

 deep at low tide. Here I collected numerous 

 living examples. All the older specimens, though 

 alive, had lost the fingers of the shell, which dis- 

 figured them almost beyond specific recognition. 

 (Fig. 18). Mr. Whitelegge has pointed out to me 

 that the callous lining of the aperture is every- 

 where perforated by some vegetable organisms, 

 probably algse. He suggests that their action 

 has resulted in these mutilations. 



On the opercula of most specimens were seated lg ' 



a couple of Hipponyx australis, Quoy. 



The natives, who termed it " karea," valued it for food both 

 raw and roasted, and in ancient times used it as an edge for 

 various implements. By mistake, I have referred to this species 

 in preceding pages (pp. 67 and 263) as P. lambis. 



Cuming collected this species in the Society islands, the Chevert 

 Expedition in Torres Straits, and specimens have been received 

 by this Museum from Erromanga, New Hebrides. 



* Hedley Proc. Linn. Soc N.S.W., xxi., 1896, p. 88. 

 t Schmeltz Mus. Godeffroy Cat. v., 1874, p. 141. 



