raised nodule. The shoulders of the whorls are almost flat 
and slope slightly downwards. The interior is usually 
light brown, marked with darker spiral bands correspond- 
ing to the outside ribs. The mouth is fairly rounded above, 
and terminates below in a rather long and open canal, 
which is curved to the left. Small juvenile shells show the 
sculpturing much better than the adults do, for in the older 
shells the longitudinal ribs become less conspicuous. This 
species lives below low-water mark, but live specimens may 
be often met with that have been washed ashore on sandy 
beaches, and small shells are much favoured by Hermit 
crabs. It may attain a length of two and a-half inches. 
Bay of Islands; Mount Maunganui; Makatu; Welling- 
ton; Lyttelton and Akaroa Harbours; Stewart Island. 
TROPHON CHEESEMANI (trophe, a turning; Cheese- 
mani, in honour of T. F. Cheeseman).—This small spiral 
univalve has the appearance of being composed of rather 
rough glazed white earthenware. It is about three-quarters 
of an inch in length, with sculpture consisting of broadly- 
rounded ribs, one on each of the spiral whorls, and five 
on the body whorl, which latter are separated by narrow 
and deep grooves. On close examination these grooves are 
seen to be bridged across with numerous little plate-like 
bands corresponding with the growth lines. The interior 
is bright purple in the fresh shell, but eventually the colour 
assumes a brown tint. The outer lip is sharp, and marked 
with four or five teeth, caused by the impressions of the 
outer grooves. . 
Found on the west coast of the North Island, and not 
at all common. 
TROPHON CORTICATUS (trophe, a turning; corti- 
catus, resembling the bark or rind of a tree).—Not more 
than half an inch in length, this small spiral univalve 1s 
found on the rocks just above low-water mark and, as a 
rule, covered with nulliporites, like a very thick coating of 
whitewash. With a little patience and a needle fastened 
into a penholder, this may be entirely removed. The appli- 
cation of dilute spirits of salts is also useful, and shells 
so treated will be found in most cases to be absolutely per- 
fect, even to the protoconch and the minutest detail of the 
sculpture. It is fusiform in shape, with the whorls shoul- 
dered and adorned with rounded ribs disposed longitudin- 
ally. These are nodular at the angle of the shoulder. 
There are twelve such ribs on the body whorl, giving rise 
to one of its synonyms, T. duodecimus (duodecim, twelve). 
The spire is sharply pointed, the mouth somewhat oval, 
69 
Plate VIII 
No.5 
Plate VIII 
No.8 
Sea Shells 
of New Zealand 
