or yellowish-white colour, bluish purple near the beaks. 
Sculpture consists of concentric striations, prominently 
marked at the anterior end, and at the ventral margin. 
Young specimens have quite thin shells in comparison, 
are coloured bluish pink to purple, and are much smoother 
than adults. About three inches in length by two and 
a-half inches high. Washed ashore after gales. 
North and South Islands. Mount Maunganui. 
ZENATIA ACINACES (Zenas, gift of Jupiter; acin- 
aces, a scimitar) Commonly known as the Otter’s shell. 
A thin greyish or yellowish-white or brown bivalve, with 
the hinge almost at the extreme anterior end. The dorsal 
and ventral margins are parallel and almost straight, the 
valves being shaped not unlike the blade of a table knife, 
rounded at the anterior end, and pared away very slightly 
at the posterior end of the ventral margin. The outside 
of the shell is covered with an opaque brownish olive- 
green epidermis, which is rather thick and rough, thinning 
off towards the hinges. The sculpture consists of concen- 
tric striations or growth lines. The interior is bluish white, 
iridescent to a slight extent, and glossy. Being a very thin 
shell for its size, it is reinforced by a thickened ray of 
callus radiating from the hinge, one in each valve. In 
length it is about three inches, or four inches in large 
specimens. The animal has a large retractile siphon; the 
foot is large and of a vivid rose-pink colour. Found washed 
up on sandy beaches after storms, or dredged in deep 
water. It is a rare species, though every few years good 
numbers of them are met with in restricted areas a day 
or two after a severe gale. 
New Brighton; Bay of Islands; Mount Maunganui; 
Opotiki. 
RESANIA LANCEOLATA (Resania, dim. of rasus, 
polished; lanceolata, in the shape of a lance).—A thin 
white bivalve, covered with a smooth, glossy, pale-yellow 
periostracum; rather narrow and flattish, shaped like a 
spearhead, rounded at each end, but having the anterior 
end more pointed. On the interior surface are two strong 
and conspicuously raised rays of shelly matter radiating 
from the hinges to give additional strength to the shell, 
which is rather thin in comparison to its large size. It 1s 
not common, and may attain a length of four and a-half 
inches. Found in association with the Zenatia Acinaces. 
North and South Islands. Mount Maunganui; Ohiwa. 
103 
Plate XII 
No.9 
Plate XII 
No. 10 
Sea Shells 
of New Zealand 
