263 



Chitons of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, Southern 



TASMANIA, INCLUDING ADDITIONS TO THE TASMANIAN 



Fauna, and Descriptions 6f a New species and 

 A New Variety. 



By Edwin Ashby, F.L.S., M.B.O.U. 



[Read July 8, 1920.] 



Plate XI. 



On. March 22, 1920, Mr. W. L. May and myself left 

 Hobart for Lunawanna, situated on the western side of South 

 Bruny Island, in D'Entrecasteaux Channel, where we were 

 most hospitably entertained by Mrs. Drake, of "Clovelly." 



Except for some work done by Mr. May on the occasion 

 of a brief visit paid previously to this spot and a little 

 dredging at the north end of tlie channel, we believe no 

 systematic chiton-collecting has previously been done in the 

 Channel. It seems therefore desirable that the results of a 

 few days' strenuous w^ork in that locality should be placed 

 on record. A little reefing was done en route for Luna- 

 wanna, at a spot a few miles north, called Alonnah. Advan- 

 tage was taken of the low tides of the three following days 

 to examine the chiton fauna both north and south of Luna- 

 wanna. On two days, the afternoon as well as the morning 

 ti-des were tried, but we found that at daydawn the latter 

 was much lower than the former, and the finds were pro- 

 portionately greater. 



Tlie night of the 25th was spent at a place named Wood- 

 bridge, much further north, though still in the Channel. 

 Next morning we were in the water as soon as it was light 

 enough to see, working for four hours on what we took to be 

 an exceptionally low tide, with some very interesting results. 

 The extreme cold of the water, and the heavy igneous rocks 

 that had to be lifted out of the water and turned over, added 

 much to the difficulty of our work. 



While the number of species obtained in the Channel 

 may not be considered exceptionally large, many ^ood forms 

 were obtained, also the negative results were nearly as inter- 

 esting as the positive ones. 



Species collected at Lunawanna. 

 Eudoxoplox inornatn?, Ten. Woods. While no true 

 Callochiton was found in this part of the Cliannel, a nice 

 series of Eudo.ro'plax inornatus was obtained. When alive 

 the rich orange colour of the underside and girdle gfives a 

 rich ruddy tinge to the upper side. This is always a striking 



