NOTES ON SHELL LIFE 
By CHARLES A. PITMAN. 
The annual Easter camp of the Field 
Naturalists’ Club held at Little China¬ 
man’s liav this year afforded students 
of concliology excellent opportunities of 
visiting many of the beaches on the 
eastern shores of Forestier’s Peninsula, 
the chief of these being -North Bay 
and Wihnot Harbour. One would natu¬ 
rally assume that these beaches would 
afford plenty of scope and interest to 
the student, and yet very few speci¬ 
mens were found. This was surprising, 
in view of the fact that good -pern- 
mens of the Helmut shell (Fbalium py- 
rum) were taken in Little t hinaman’s 
Bay. and also a large number of Cyma- 
tlidae (Cymatiuriv splengleri), more or 
less damaged, were observed on rocky 
portions of thd came Bay. 
Marine specimens found in close prox¬ 
imity to the camp were as follows: — 
Fasciolaria australasia. Phalium pyrum. 
P. semigranosutu, Patella ustulata, i’. 
mixta. P. inradiata, Emarginula 
Candida. Xerita melanotragus, Sea- 
phella undulata. Monodonta constricta, 
M. obtusa. M. adelaidae, Brachyondontes 
erosus, Benbicium melanostoma, Mar- 
ginella formicula, Haliotis noevosa. 
One good specimen of the Sili nutria 
weldii was taken at the routhern ex¬ 
tremity of North pay, r.ml single 
waives of the Solon vagii.oides, Divari¬ 
cella cumingi, were observed. 
At Wllmot Harbour the following 
specimens were obtained:- — Thais sjjc- 
cineta (among the rocks), Turritella 
gunnii. Oantltaridus fasciatus, and Siga- 
patella calyptraeformis. 
In the vicinity of the Tasman Me¬ 
morial a large number of specimens of 
the tree snail (Bothriembryon gunnuj 
were taken. This gregarious mollusc is 
very plentiful on the trees near the 
sea coast, extending from the memorial 
to Wilinot Harbour. Caroydes dufresni, 
ami Heliearion cuvieri were also taken 
on various parts of the peninsula. 
In conclusion. I would like to place 
on record and to bring under the no¬ 
tice of students of eonchology that ex¬ 
cellent book of Mr. W. L. May s, en¬ 
titled “Illustrated Tmlex of Tatemanian 
Shells.” Apart from its instructive qua¬ 
lities as to the complete list of all 
known specimens, it is of incalculable 
assistance as an Index and guide to 
their classification. 
