Page:Beautiful·Shells·of·New·Zealand-Moss-1908.pdf/37

 CANTHARIDUS FASCIATUS (Plate VII.).—Fig. 9 (lately known as Bankivia varians) is found in Westland. White, green, rose, purple, or black in colour and plain or banded, and sometimes even with longitudinal wavy lines. It is about half an inch in length.

All of the Cantharidus family have beautiful nacreous interiors, and are the favourite New Zealand shells for necklaces and bracelets. When cleaned with acid, they are much admired. We have six or eight other varieties of Cantharidus, but they are small, and are not figured on the plate.

TARON DUBIUS (Plate VII.).—Fig. 4 is a shell about three-quarters of an inch long, and found under rocks in partly-sheltered harbours. The exterior varies from chocolate to black. The interior varies between purple and white. The lip end of the spire is usually reddish.

LITORINA CINCTA (Plate VII.).—Fig. 5 is a semi-amphibious shellfish common to both Islands. It is found amongst rocks in the open sea near high water mark. The exterior is brown, or bluish-black, with fine grooves or lines round it. The interior is violet, and the extreme length about ¾ inch.

LITORINA MAURITIANA (Plate VII.).—Fig. 6 is a very common shell in the North Island, where it is found on rocks in the open sea, or in harbours up to, and even above, high water mark. The shell is under half an inch long, and usually not more than a quarter of an inch. The colour outside is bluish-white, with a broad spiral band of dark blue. The interior is violet.

DAPHNELLA LYMNEIFORMIS (Plate VII.).—Fig. 10 is a very thin, whitish shell, with irregular brown markings, and is often dredged up in the vicinity of Auckland. Its extreme length appears to be 1¼ inches.

SURCULA NOVAE-ZELANDIAE (Plate VII.).—Figs. 11 and 12 (late Drillia zelandica) is a pale rose-coloured shell, nearly 1½ inches in length. It belongs to the Pleurotoma family, any of which can easily be identified by the notch in the outer lip, as shown near the centre of the figure. All of this family live below low water mark, and are obtained by dredging. It is found in both Islands.