NATURAL HISTORY. 
633 
and spins itself a complete cocoon, of a fine, soft, silky 
texture ; the shell is entirely inclosed in it, and numbers of 
these cocoons are found woven together into a mass, which 
is in sufficient quantity to render it capable of being con- 
verted to use. Another shell, similar in form to Byssoara 
jpJiolades , generally takes up its abode in the centre of 
sponges. 
Of the Fam. Arcadce is a large Pectunculus , a thick, heavy 
shell, very abundant in certain localities, both in a fossil and 
recent state. 
Fam. Mytilidce has many representatives, Powhe, hutai , 
huhu , one kind attains a length of nearly a foot, with a 
proportional width, and in the Auckland Isles they are 
found even fifteen inches long, these are much esteemed by 
the natives ; indeed, all the different kinds are eaten, nor 
are there any instances of their proving unwholesome, but 
those which have a parasitical crab within are thereby ren- 
dered lean and less palatable. 
Nor is the Byssus considered poisonous, one peculiarity 
attending them is, that they have generally a fine large tuft 
of flustra attached to the upper rim of the shell which, 
although apparently an independent growth, may still act 
beneficially in arresting and conveying suitable food within 
reach of the fish. To show the native estimation of these 
large mussels, a quantity were brought to Wanganui, where 
they are not found, and the owner quickly disposed of them 
at two -pence each to the natives. 
The Pinna, hu/pa, is abundaut, and of large size, being 
frequently more than a foot long ; it is eaten, as is likewise 
the Pecten, Jcua Jcuct , of which there are several varieties. 
The Fam. Ostreidoe has several representatives. — The 
cockscomb oyster, tio, ranges from Australia to New Zealand, 
but is not found much to the south of Auckland. It is a 
rock oyster, having its lower shell generally attached to the 
rock, although in places where they remain any time undis- 
turbed they adhere to one another, and form large compact 
masses. The cockscomb oyster abounds in the Mangrove 
swamps, attached to the roots and branches of that tree. 
