Page:Beautiful·Shells·of·New·Zealand-Moss-1908.pdf/29

 Figs. 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, and 14 are of the Cominella family, the New Zealand representatives of the voracious English whelks.

COMINELLA LURIDA (Plate IV.).—Fig. 7 is the most active and, for its size, the most voracious of our shellfish. Found in all harbours in the Province of Auckland, even up to high water mark, this greedy little animal, seldom more than an inch long, is well worth watching. In some localities, when a cart has been driven along a beach, the track, as soon as the tide reaches it, will swarm with the Cominella lurida. They are looking for cockles or other shellfish smashed by the wheel, and will even burrow in the sand to get at them. If you lift up a broken or injured cockle, some will cling to it with their rasp-like tongues till they are lifted out of the water. In calm, sunny weather, what looks like little bits of fat or candle-grease will be seen floating with the rising tide in very shallow water. These are Cominella lurida, which have perhaps eaten up everything in their vicinity, and have therefore decided to emigrate. A Cominella lurida, when shifting camp, will turn upside down, spread out its large white foot into a cup-shape, and let the rising tide sweep it along. They vary very much, from grey to purple or black, and sometimes even a mixture of two or more of these colours.

COMINELLA HUTTONI (Plate IV.).—Fig. 8 is a small pale brown shell, spotted with reddish-brown. The ridges on the exterior of the shell make it easy to identify.

COMINELLA MACULATA (Plate IV.).—Fig. 11 is a yellowish shell, with reddish-purple spots on the outside, the interior being also yellow. Its length is sometimes over two inches, and it is found in large numbers on sandy or shelly beaches, near low water mark, in the North Island. Although a heavy, solid shell, it is of coarse texture, and therefore open to attacks by animal and vegetable parasites. A large speciuien in good order is by no means common, the spire, or upper end of the shell, as shown in the plate, being usually worm-eaten.

COMINELLA TESTUDINEA (Plate IV.).—Fig. 12 is a handsome purple shell, the interior being darker than the exterior. It is about the same length as the Cominella maculata, but narrower, and the shell is thinner and harder. The exterior is covered with brown and white spots and splashes. It is common in the North Island and as far south as Banks’ Peninsula. It is found on