Page:Beautiful·Shells·of·New·Zealand-Moss-1908.pdf/25

 TROPHON CHEESEMANI (Plate II.).—Fig. 6 is a small, grey Trophon, with a dark interior. The shell is deeply grooved, and about three-quarters of an inch long. Found, so far, only on the West Coast, near Waikato Heads. We have 3 other small Trophons, two of which are shown on Plate VII., Figs. 22 and 23.

ANCILLA AUSTRALIS (Plate II.)—Fig. 7 (also known as the New Zealand Olive) is a beautiful clean bright shell, and looks as if covered with shining enamel. The upper part of shells of the Ancilla family is kept polished by the mollusc’s foot, which swells to such an extent when the animal is moving about that the whole shell is concealed in its folds. The broad band in the centre is usually dark chestnut or brownish purple, the points of the shell being tipped with darker shades of the same colour. The interior is purplish. Large numbers are found on the edges of channels in harbours, buried in the sand; but their presence is easily located by the oval-shaped mound under which they conceal themselves. When washed up on ocean beaches, they are frequently bleached to a brown or chocolate colour. The Maoris sometimes use them for buttons, and very pretty buttons the medium-sized ones make. The largest I have seen were two inches long. There are two other kinds of Ancilla found in New Zealand, the one much larger, and the other much smaller, than the one depicted. The larger is Ancilla pyramidalis, the smaller Ancilla mucronata. The native names are Pupurore and Tikoaka.

PURPURA SUCCINCTA (Plate II.).—Figs. 8 and 9 is found all over the North Island, on ocean beaches and in harbours. It may have a comparatively smooth exterior, as in Fig. 8, or be deeply grooved, as in Fig. 9. The interior is usually yellow or brown, and generally has a pale band round the margin of the outer lip. It is very variable in colour and general outside appearance, and although at one time divided by naturalists into 3 or 4 varieties, under different names, it is now believed to be only one very variable species.

PURPURA SCOBINA (Plate II.)—Fig. 10 (late Polytropa scobina) is a rough, thick, brown shell, with a dark interior. It varies in colour and shape, and is found everywhere in New Zealand on surf-beaten rocks. It is usually under an inch in length.

PURPURA HAUSTRUM (Plate II.).—Fig 11 (late Polytropa haustrum) is a brown shell, with a greyish or yellow interior. It is found in great numbers on rocks in all parts of New Zealand.