GENERAL ZOOLOGY. 25 



at the Admiralty Islets it acquires a much larger size, and is decidedly 

 more plentiful. One specimen of Siplionaria denticulata, Q. & G., common 

 to Port Jackson and New Caledonia, was taken on Rabbit Island ; and 

 several examples of Scutus unguis, Linn., var. corrugatus, Reeve, were found 

 on the Coral-reef. The Chitonida? are sparsely represented by a small 

 Chiton, and two species of Anthochites, and were attached to stones on the 

 Coral-reef. 



Dead specimens of Triton cynoceplialus, Lamk., and Pterocera cliiragra, 

 var. rugosa, Sby., were found, but Mr. Brazier, without additional 

 evidence, is disinclined to regard these as other than conveyed to the inland 

 through human agency. They are New Caledonia species, and have not 

 been traced so far to the south-east before. 



The relative prevalence of Patella and Siplionaria seems to be exactly the 

 opposite of the Rev. J. E. T. -Wood's experience on the north-east coast of 

 the Continent. In the neighbourhood of Trinity Bay he found Siplionaria 

 to be the characteristic genus, whilst in our own case it is Patella * 



The remaining groups of the Gasteropoda are but feebly represented in 

 our collection. Of the Tectibranchiata we have only three, Bulla, Pleuro- 

 branclius, and Aplysia. The former is represented by a few examples of 

 B. ampulla, but all dead specimens ; the latter by Aplysia tigrina, Rang. 



The Nudibranchs would probably reward a more vigorous search than we 

 were able to give, two genera only coming under our notice, a species of 

 Onchydium, and Dolabrifera Brazeri, Sby. The Heteropora are of more 

 importance from the plentiful occurrence of Ianthina. This beautiful genus 

 is represented by two species — 1. casta, Reeve, and I. exigua, Lamk. The 

 former is scattered in thousands on the sandy beach of the Lagoon, invariably 

 coming on shore with the mollusc in situ. The latter is the beautiful high- 

 spired species, with the well marked sinus in the outer lip of the mouth. From 

 amongst the immense number of the commoner form examined by us, only two 

 specimens of this species were found. 



The group to which the greatest interest attaches itself is certainly 

 the Pulmonifera. Thanks to the untiring exertions of Mr. Whitelegge, 

 we are able to extend this division of the Mollusca by no less than seven 

 undescribed species. A curious resemblance exists to some extent between 

 Lord Howe Island and the Sandwich Islands. Not only are both widely 

 isolated, but in the former the land shells are said by Wallacef to be peculiar 

 to the group, and they are certainly so in the case of Lord Howe. A 

 further resemblance takes place in the very small number of Operculate 

 Pulmonifera existing on both groups of islands — in the case of our island, 

 only three genera. More attention has been paid to the land shells of 

 Lord Howe than to any other group of Mollusca found there through the 

 researches of Pfeiffer, Cox, Brazier, and G-askoin, and collections made by 

 the late Mr. Macgillivray, Mr. G. Masters, and Mr. A. Morton. From a 

 short note by Mr. Brazier in 1869,^ it appears that Macgillivray alone 

 collected four species of Helix, a Bulimus, four JDiplommatina, and an 

 Omphalotropis. 



The genus Helix is represented by no less than ten species. The typical 

 form, characteristic of Lord Howe, Helix Sophice, Gaskoin,§ is scattered 

 freely over the whole island, and extends to a comparatively high altitude 

 on Mount Ledgbird. In the lower lying portions of the island, in 



* Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, v, pt. 2, p. 112. 



+ Island Life, 1880, p. 303. 



t " Lord Howe Island," Sydney Morning Herald, 1869, lix, No. 9,694 (June 16th), p. 8. 



§ Proc. Zool. Soc., 1854, p. 152. 



