The mouth or aperture is round and perfect—that is to 
say, the lip is a thickened rim running continuously round 
the mouth, and not interrupted by a notch or canal, as in 
most of the spiral univalves. The animal, like all the Wen- 
tletraps, is a carnivorous feeder, It is found just below 
low-water mark, and is often washed ashore on sandy 
beaches. 
Bay of Islands; Great Barrier Island; Mount Maunga- 
nui; Chatham Islands. 
TURBONILLA ZEALANDICA (turbonilla, dim of 
turbo, a whipping-top; N.Z.)—A minute slender white 
spiral univalve, tapering to a sharp point, not unlike a 
thorn. It is three-sixteenths of an inch in length, and 
slightly under a sixteenth across the body whorl. There 
are eight whorls, with almost straight outlines, there being 
a sloping step-like shoulder to each one just below the 
suture. The sculpture consists of small and numerous ribs 
longitudinally arranged, which, on the body whorl, terminate 
at a small spiral thread, winding round from the top of the 
aperture, leaving the rounded base smooth. The sculpture 
and the curious little protoconch, perched, as it were, edge- 
wise on the top of the spire, should be examined with a 
good magnifying glass. It may be picked up on sandy 
beaches at high-tide mark, among disintergrated pumice, 
but, on account of its diminutive size, can be easily over- 
looked. They are not often met with, but when a favour- 
able sea does wash them ashore one may collect several 
dozen of them, 
Found in shallow water to fifty fathoms throughout 
New Zealand. (Suter). 
Mount Maunganui; Stewart Island; The Snares; 
Bounty Island. 
MEGALATRACTUS MAXIMUS (megale, great; atrac- 
tus, a spindle; maximus, greatest).—A fine, large, narrow, 
turretted spiral univalve, of picturesque design, with the 
whorls strongly angled at the middle, the slope of the angle 
being straight and the angle a right angle. It is of a light 
brown colour, sculptured with fine small spiral ribs and 
intervening threads or riblets. At the angles of the whorls 
are a number of large flattened and sharp nodules pro- 
jecting outwards, there being about ten on the body whorl. 
The mouth is narrowly oval, angled above, and also at the 
shoulder; below, drawn out into a long, open, narrow 
canal, curving first slightly to the left and then slightly to 
the right, at the same time having a very decided curve 
backwards. The outer lip is thin, sharp and crinkly; the 
59 
Plate VI 
No. 24 
Plate 11] 
No.5 
Sea Shells 
of New Zealand 
