206 



Shells from the Great Australian Bight. 

 By Jos. C. Verco, M.D. (Lond.), F.R.C.S. (Bng.). 



[Read October 10, 1912.] 



Plates X. to XIV. and XVI. 



In March, 1912, the Federal Minister of Trade and Cus- 

 toms granted me permission to go on the trawler "Endeavour" 

 during a trip of investigation in the Bight. 



The area covered extended from 30 to 120 miles west 

 of the longitude of Eucla, along the 100-fathom line, the 

 trawl being taken across this line from 75 fathoms to 120 

 fathoms. The 100-fathom line followed the curve of the 

 coast fairly uniformly at a distance of about 60 miles. The 

 shells obtained were those brought up incidentally in the 

 large trawl when this was gathering fish. As its mesh was 

 comparatively large, very few small shells were taken. The 

 fauna was consequently quite different from that I have 

 dredged off the South Australian coast in deep water before, 

 when either a very fine-meshed net-dredge or a conical iron 

 bucket-dredge has been used, and only smaller forms have 

 been obtained. Mr. Dannevig, the Director of the Fisheries 

 investigation, very kindly gave me two hauls with my bucket- 

 dredge in deep water, and so supplied me with material for 

 comparison with what I have taken in a similar manner and 

 at equal depths elsewhere. 



I am pleased to take this opportunity of expressing my 

 thanks to the Ministerial heads of the Department in the 

 Commonwealth and in the State for the opportunity of 

 securing much interesting material, and also to the officers 

 and men on the trawler for their very ready and interested 

 help. 



In this paper, owing to lack of time, I am only able to 

 deal with the larger Gasteropods. I hope to deal with the 

 smaller forms and with the Pelecypods in the future. 



Phasianella australis, Gmelin. 



Buccinum australe, Gmelin, Sys. Nat., 1788, p. 3490, No. 173. 



One large specimen, dead, in poor condition, dredged 

 in 100 fathoms 90 miles west of Eucla. 



