of its kind found on the coasts of the Dominion. It is 
almost identical with the species met with on the south 
coast of England. The shell is small, fairly rounded, and 
about five-eighths of an inch in length, sculptured entirely 
with numerous small ribs, with intervening grooves, com- 
mencing from the inner surface of the lips and extending 
up and round the outside of the shell, meeting in the middle 
line. At either end these grooves and ribs tend to diverge 
from the centre and become more horizontal. The colour 
is pale pinkish yellowish white, with two or three irregular 
spots of pinkish brown on the back, and a small patch of 
the same colour at each end. At the Bay of Islands a variety 
has been found which is of a pure translucent white, almost 
smooth, and with a pink tint at either end, but with no spots 
on the back. This I believe to be merely a juvenile form 
of the species. 
Worn as a charm against witchcraft and a protection 
from the evil eye, the Cowrie shell had a great vogue in 
Egypt in the days of the Pharoahs, and from remote times 
it has been used as currency among different native races 
in Africa. The Trivia Australis is quite an uncommon 
shell, and has been recorded from Cape Maria van Diemen, 
Bay of Islands, Ahipara Bay, Hauraki Gulf, Mount Mau- 
nganui, Cook Strait. 
SEPTA COSTATA (sepia, plural of septum, a parti- 
tion; costata, ribbed).—A rather large, bright brown spiral 
univalve, with strong nodulous spiral ribs, two on the upper 
whorls and fourteen on the body whorl. There is a varix 
or extra large rib on the body whorl, disposed axially or 
in the longitudinal axis of the shell; this varix is coloured 
dark brown in the grooves, and pure white on the nodules. 
The outer lip also has a strong varix on the outer side, 
of white and brown. The inside of the outer lip is ridged 
and grooved, dark and light brown, respectively. The 
columellar lip is very dark brown, with numerous small 
white ribs transversely arranged upon it. The mouth 1s 
channelled above, and ends below in an open canal. It 1s 
not a common shell, and is found washed up on ocean 
beaches after heavy gales. In the recent state it is covered 
with a horn-coloured, thick, hairy epidermis. 
Found on the northern coasts of New Zealand. Hau- 
- raki Gulf; Bay of Islands; Mount Maunagnui. 
SEPTA RUBICUNDA (sepia, plural of septum, a par- 
tition; rubicunda, somewhat red).—This shell is one of the 
largest of our New Zealand univalves, and is commonly 
known as the Triton shell. It is fusiform shape—that is 
ol 
Plate IV 
No. 2 
Plate IV 
No. 3 
Sea Shells 
of New Zealand 
