Go to National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa
Volume 24, 1891
This text is also available in PDF
(2 MB) Opens in new window
– 271 –

I.—Molluscan Fauna of the Vicinity of Hastwell, Fortymile Bush, North Island.

Class Gasteropoda. Ord. Pulmonata.

Group Stylommatophora.

Sec. Agnatha.

Fam. Testacellidæ.

1. Elæa coresia, Gray. Very scarce. Found only one specimen, amongst dead leaves in the bush near Mauriceville.

Sec. Gnathophora. (a.) Holognatha.

Fam. Limacidæ.

2. Amalia marginata, Hutt. Rare. ‘T wo specimens only were obtained, in the bush near Hastwell.

– 272 –

3. Hyalina (?) allochroida, Sut. Very scarce. Bush near Mauriceville.

4. Hyalina (?) allochroida, Sut., var. sericata, Sut. Only one specimen, in the bush near Hastwell.

5. Hyalina (?) allochroida, Sut., var. lateumbilicata, Sut. Scarce. Amongst dead leaves and mould, bush near Hastwell.

6. Hyalina (?) microreticulata, Sut. Very scarce. Bush near Hastwell.

Fam. Phenacohelicidæ.

7. Thalassia neozelanica, Gray. Not uncommon under pieces of rotten wood and bark in the bush.

Thalassia neozelanica, Gray, forma pallidula. Without markings, light-coloured. With the foregoing, but scarcer.

8. Psyra dimorpha, Pf. Scarce, as all the other species of the genus. Hiding in the cavities of rotten logs in damp situations in the bush.

9. Psyra tullia, Gray. Scarce. Under stones and rotten wood.

10. Psyra adriana, Hutt. More frequently found than the other species.

11. Psyra planulata, Hutt. Scarce.

12. Psyra miranda, Hutt. The rarest of the genus.

13. Therasia celinde, Gray. Very rare. Found a few specimens only on pieces of wood in the bush on a steep hill.

14. Therasia thaisa, Hutt. Occurs only on a limestone hill near Mauriceville Railway-station.

15. Phenacohelix pilula, Reeve. In moist and dark situations in the bush. Rather scarce.

16. Phenacohelix chordata, Pf. Very scarce. Only a few specimens found in the bush near Hastwell; somewhat more abundant on the Mauriceville limestone hill. Under dead leaves.

17. Patulopsis ida, Gray. Not common, but found throughout the bush under rotten wood in damp and dark places.

18. Amphidoxa compressivoluta, Reeve. Scarce. Seems to prefer high situations in the bush. Under pieces of wood and bark.

19. Amphidoxa zebra, Le Guillou. Very scarce, mostly hiding in the mould accumulated on rotten logs. It never attains the large size of specimens in the South Island.

20. Amphidoxa chiron, Gray. Found only a few specimens under rotten wood in the bush near Hastwell and Mauriceville.

21. Calymna feredayi, Sut. Scarce. Under rotton wood in the bush.

– 273 –

Fam. Patulidæ.

22. Patula coma, Gray. Common everywhere, especially under loose bark on logs.

Patula coma, Gray, forma globosa. Near Hastwell I found a number of P. coma having the general appearance of P. lucetta, but the umbilicus is wider and the ribs more distant than in the latter species. There are all intermediate forms to be found, from the flat normal form, whose height is 0.12in., to the globose form showing a height of 0.16in.

23. Patula lucetta, Hutt. Very scarce. One specimen only, near Mauriceville.

24. Patula buccinella, Reeve. Not common. Together with P. bianca.

25. Patula corniculum, Reeve. Scarce, especially adult specimens.

26. Patula bianca, Hutt. Under bark on logs, but easily overlooked, because it has almost the same colour as the wood and bark of rimu, on which it is mostly found.

27. Patula anguicula, Reeve. Under dead leaves and amongst mould in damp situations in the bush. As it is very minute and dark-coloured, it is difficult to find it. This species is found on both Islands, but seems to be nowhere abundant.

28. Patula varicosa, Pf. (= P. timandra, Hutt.). Under rotten wood and under bark in damp places. Rather scarce.

29. Patula tapirina, Hutt. Next P. coma the most common shell of the genus. Under rotten wood and dead leaves.

Patula tapirina, Hutt., forma albina. Nearly white. Found in the bush near Hastwell.

30. Patula infecta, Reeve. With the foregoing.

31. Patula infecta, Reeve, var. irregularis, Sut. Very scarce.

32. Patula sylvia, Hutt. Through the whole bush, but rather scarce. Darker in colour than specimens I have seen from the South Island.

33. Patula colensoi, Sut. Under rotten wood, &c. Scarce.

34. Patula variecostata, Sut. In the bush near Mauriceville, under rotten wood. Very scarce.

35. Patula raricostata, Sut. Near Mauriceville, on limestone formation, amongst mould in the bush. Rare.

36. Patula biconcava, Pf. In dark and damp situations in the bush. Not common.

37. Patula huttoni, Sut. Very scarce. Under rotten logs in the bush near Hastwell.

38. Patula moussoni, Sut. In the same places. Rare.

39. Patula subantialba, Sut. In damp, shady places in the bush near Hastwell and Mauriceville. Scarce.

– 274 –

Fam. Helicidæ.

40. Vitrinoidea dimidiata, Pf. Under rotten logs; prefers the outskirts of the bush. The animal is almost always found with its tail brought forward to the right side of the head. I am inclined to consider this peculiar form which the animal assumes as mimicry, imitating certain not uncommon outgrowths on logs.

41. Phrixgnathus maria, Gray. On rotten wood, &c. Scarce.

42. Phrixgnathus conella, Pf. On rotten wood, &c. Scarce, especially alive.

43. Phrixgnathus regularis, Pf. On rotten wood, &c. Very rare.

44. Phrixgnathus celia, Hutt. On rotten wood, &c. Scarce. Near Mauriceville only.

45. Laoma marina, Hutt. (=L. nerissa, Hutt.). Amongst dead leaves, on bark, &c. Not uncommon.

46. Maoriana pseudoleioda, Sut. Not common. Under rotten wood.

47. Maoriana wairarapa, Sut. Not common. Under rotten wood.

48. Maoriana hectori, Sut. Under loose bark, together with P. coma, P. bianca, and P. buccinella.

49. Maoriana microundulata, Sut. The rarest of the group.

Fam. Pupidæ.

50. Pupa (Isthmia) neozelanica, Pf. Rather common throughout the bush, though adult specimens are seldom met with. Under bark and pieces of wood.