21 



Sypharochiton maugeanus, Iredale and May. 

 (Proc. Mai. Soc., vol. xii., pts. ii. and iii., p. 114-115, Novt, 1916.) 



In October, 1921, Mr. W. L. May, of Tasmania, and the 

 writer jointly examined a fairly large series we had collected 

 in different parts of Tasmania with shells in my collection 

 from New South Wales and New Zealand. My New Zealand 

 specimens were from various localities, but the S. sinclairi, 

 Gray, were from Doubtless Bay, collected by Mr. Albert E. 

 Brookes, and from Te Onepote, collected by the late Mr. 

 Suter. 



We cannot agree with Iredale and May in separating 

 the Tasmanian shells from the New Zealand ones, or from 

 those from New South Wales. Pilsbry, in his paper on "Port 

 Jackson Chitons" (1894), also states that he "was unable to 

 detect any difference between New South Wales and New 

 Zealand shells." Therefore S. maugeanus, Ire. and May, 

 becomes a synonym of S. pellis-serpentis, Quoy and Gaimard. 



Further, we find that the smooth shells living in company 

 with the more sculptured ones, in Frederick Henry Bay, Tas- 

 mania, are con-specific with S. sinclairi, Gray, 1843, the New 

 Zealand shells being similar to the Tasmanian ones. In both* 

 S. pellis-se7yentis varies from the somewhat flat highly- 

 sculptured shells so common in Port Jackson, New South 

 Wales, to those that are almost smooth in all areas. We 

 therefore consider that S. sinclairi is a smooth variant of S. 

 pellis-serpentis , and is certainly common to New Zealand and 

 Tasmania, and, on the authority of the late Dr. Cox, we 

 must conclude, of New South Wales as well, although neither 

 Mr. May nor the writer has seen the smooth variety from New 

 South Wales. 



Mr. May sends me the following note in reference to 

 the foregoing: — "1 agree with all you have written. The 

 shell varies very much in height, some being very flat, others 

 high and round backed, with all grades between; they also 

 vary greatly in size in different localities. My largest, from 

 Wedge Bay, is 56 mm. long; they may be almost white, black, 

 or of varying patterns of black and white, etc." 



In conclusion. — We find that Sypharochiton pellis- 

 serpentis, Quoy and Gaimard, is an extremely variable shell 

 in Tasmania, New Zealand, and New South Wales, varying 

 from a highly-sculptured form to an almost smooth one, which 

 must be known as variety sinclairi, Gray, the intermediates 

 still living ; and Iredale and May's S. maugeanus is a synonym 

 of S. pellis-serpentis, Quoy and Gaimard. 



