a Shells 
of New Zealand 
Plate V 
No.5 
Plate V 
No. 8-8a. 
Plate V 
No. 4-4a. 
interior shows the outside network on a ground of greenish 
tint. Margin smooth. About a quarter of an inch in 
length, it is found between tide marks attached to the under 
side of loose boulders. . 
Auckland Harbour; Mount Maunganui; Wellington 
Harbour; Sumner; Lyttelton; Greymouth. 
ACMAEA FRAGILIS (akme, a point; fragile) —A 
small limpet, almost transparent, oval in shape, remarkably 
flattened, with the apex close up to the front margin, and 
coloured green and brown in alternate concentric bands. 
Internally the prevailing colour is bright green, not exactly 
an emerald green as usually described, but the beautiful 
opaque green seen on antique bronzes. Like all the acmaea 
family the A. fragilis is not iridescent internally. It is 
slightly over half an inch in length, and is found by turn- 
ing over smooth loose boulders between tide marks. It is 
better not to use a knife in removing them, as the shells 
are almost sure to suffer; but, after sprinkling them with 
a little water, gently slide them off with the finger and 
thumb. 
Found in the North and South Islands: Smugglers’ 
Bay; Whangarei Heads; Mount Maunganui; Chatham 
Islands. 
ACMAEA HELMSI (akme, a point; named in honour 
of Mr. R. Helms).—This little acmaea bears a strong 
family likeness to the A. Daedala, having similar sculptur- 
ing, and colour marking externally; but the shell is rather 
rounder in outline, the A. Daedala being slightly more of 
an elongated oval. The A. Helmsi has an opaque central 
area, and a semi-transparent border rayed with dark brown, 
radiating streaks. 
Found on boulders between tide marks, Picton, South 
Island. 
ACMAEA PARVICONOIDEA (akme, a point; parvi- 
conoidea, like a small cone).—These delicate little limpets 
are found on the rocks in company with the Modiolus ater, 
the well-known small black mussel, which clusters so 
densely on the piles of wharves and piers. The shell is oval, 
and usually highly conical, with the apex near to the ante- 
rior third, sharply pointed and more or less curved for- 
ward. Although this shell is generally incrusted or eroded, 
occasionally one finds specimens showing the radiate ribs 
and threads, but identification is easily established by the 
brown and yellow stripes which are seen round the lower 
third of the exterior and are also invariably shown on the 
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