Natica notocenica Finlay. (Plate 55, fig. 4.)

1924. Natica notocenica Finlay, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 55, p. 450, pl. 49, figs. 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d.

Localities.—Awamoa (type); Pukeuri; Rifle Butts; Ardgowan; Pareora; uppermost Mount Brown beds, Weka Pass, large specimen [= N. australis (in part) of Suter, 1921, p. 43];? Waikaia (umbilicus is concealed by matrix);? McCullough's Bridge, Waihao.

One good specimen from the last locality has outer lip strongly retracted to suture and funicle smaller and more separated from umbilical walls. Two smaller imperfect specimens are not so distinct from notocenica, consequently more specimens are needed before a separation would be justified.

Natica inexpectata Finlay. (Plate 55, fig. 13.)

1924. Natica inexpectata Finlay, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 55, p. 452.

Type in the collection of Mr. H. J. Finlay.

Height, 16 mm.; diameter, 15 mm.

Locality.—7a, Clifden, Southland.

Distinguished from N. zelandica by its different shape, more convex and wider whorls, and smaller umbilical funicle. N. consortis and N. sublata are only about half the size, and have much smaller funicles.

Natica bacca n. sp. (Plate 55, fig. 14.)

Shell small, oval; spire low, suture tangential; aperture large, semilunar; outer lip gently retracted to suture for considerable distance; inner lip with thin callus on parietal wall and somewhat narrow but large funicle which about half fills umbilicus; notch separating funicle from parietal callus very shallow.

Type in collection of New Zealand Geological Survey. Kindly presented by Dr. P. Marshall.

Height, 5 mm.; length, 5 mm.

Locality.—Hampden.

This species is probably the N. zelandica of former lists. The very shallow notch between the parietal callus and the funicle, and also the narrowness of the latter, distinguish the species from N. notocenica, which it resembles in shape.

Natica planisuturalis n. sp. (Plate 55, figs. 10, 11.)

Shell small, broadly ovate; spire moderately raised, less than half the height of aperture; whorls 5, flattened above; suture tangential; outer lip slightly concave, inclined at about 30° from the vertical, slightly retracted to suture; umbilicus wide with an almost central funicle about half its own width from umbilical walls all round; parietal callus thin with deep narrow notch separating it from funicle.

Holotype in collection of New Zealand Geological Survey.

Height, 11 mm.; diameter, 11 mm.

Localities.—1089, blue clays and sands, Okauawa Creek, south side Ngaruroro River (type); 1063, shell-bed, Okawa Creek, north side Ngaruroro River; 1096, clays below limestone, Petane.

Natica haweraensis n. sp. (Plate 55, figs. 6, 7.)

Shell small, broadly ovate; spire low; whorls somewhat flattened, suture tangential; outer lip slightly concave, inclined at about 40° from vertical, slightly retracted to suture; umbilicus very wide with large funicle which is its own width distant from umbilical walls all round; parietal callus thin, not invading umbilicus, and so separated from funicle by deep and wide notch.

Holotype in collection of New Zealand Geological Survey.

Height, 10 mm.; diameter; 10 mm.

Localities.—1173, beach at mouth of Waihi Stream, Hawera; 1101, Waipipi Beach, north of Wairoa Stream, Waverley (= N. zelandica of Marshall and Murdoch, 1920, p. 125); 126, Awatere Valley (= P. ovatus? of Suter, 1921, p. 30) (poor specimen; may be N. planisuturalis).

An imperfect specimen from Waipipi Beach is 20 mm. high.

Natica consortis Finlay. (Plate 55, fig. 2.)

1924. Natica consortis Finlay, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 55, p. 451, pl. 49, figs. 1a, 1b, 1c.

Localities.—Pukeuri (type); Target Gully, Oamaru; Parson's Creek, Oamaru; Ardgowan; Rifle Butts; Pakaurangi Point.

Natica sublata n. sp. (Plate 55, fig. 3.)

Shell small, ovate; spire raised, gradate; whorls 5–6, convex on spire, flattened immediately below suture, which is well marked and abutting; growth-lines very strongly marked on subsutural space, surface otherwise smooth; aperture ovate; outer lip straight or slightly concave, retracted to suture, inclined about 25° from vertical; inner lip thin; umbilicus small, with small anteriorly placed funicle separated from parietal glaze by notch of equal width.

Holotype in collection of New Zealand Geological Survey.

Height, 8 mm.; diameter, 7 mm.

Locality.—165, White Rock River, Pareora.

This species is closely related to N. consortis, having the same umbilical development with a characteristically small funicle; it is easily distinguished by its narrower diameter, raised spire, and flattened subsutural space with strong growth-lines. (= N. zelandica and N. australis of Suter, 1921, p. 59.)

Natica praeconsors Finlay. (Plate 55, fig. 1.)

1924. Natica praeconsors Finlay, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 55, p. 451.

The funicle is very small, and there is another smaller umbilical ridge placed well forward, like the ridge in Amauropsella. Perhaps the shell is worth sectional distinction from Natica s. str., but only one specimen was seen by the writer.

Locality.—McCullough's Bridge, Waihao.

Natica harrisensis n. sp. (Plate 55, fig. 5.)

Shell small, oval; spire almost flat; whorls 4, convex on spire, body-whorl wide increasing rapidly in size; suture well marked, abutting, with indistinct flattening of whorl below; aperture semilunar; outer lip

retracted to suture above but otherwise straight, inclined at about 20° from vertical; umbilicus small but penetrating, hardly encroached on by apertural callus, which bears two denticles on lower part; an extremely small and anteriorly placed funicle, amounting only to a ridge, descends from within umbilicus to abut on inner lip just before it curves round to base.

Holotype in collection of New Zealand Geological Survey.

Height, 6 mm.; length, 6 mm.

Locality.—Mount Harris, South Canterbury. (= P. amphialus of Suter, 1921, p. 64.)

A fairly large shell of a similar nature occurs in bed 6b at Clifden, Southland, but the available specimens were not complete enough to show whether they were adults of the Mount Harris shell or a different species.

Natica maoria Finlay. (Plate 55, figs. 16, 18.)

1878. Lunatia australis Hutton, Journ. d. Conch., vol. 26, p. 23.

1893. Natica australis Hutton, Macleay Mem. Vol., p. 54, pl. 7, fig. 38 (not of d'Orbigny).

1924. Natica maoria Finlay, Proc. Malac. Soc., vol. 16, p. 101.

Lectotype in Otago Museum.

Height, 6 mm.; diameter, 6 mm.

Localities.—Recent (type from Auckland); Castlecliff; Kai Iwi; 1063, Okawa Creek, Ngaruroro River; 1096, Esk Bridge, Petane; 1040, Twaite's Cutting, five miles south of Martinborough.

Each of Hutton's three syntypes has a fairly open umbilicus and obsolete funicle. Other specimens from Auckland in Suter collection and in Dominion Museum have a very narrow umbilicus almost filled by the rather narrow funicle. It may be that we are dealing with two species, for the shell in the Petane beds commonly classed as N. australis has a very wide umbilicus and a thinner inner lip than the typical specimens, and no examples with a narrow opening were seen. At Castlecliff and Kai Iwi both forms are present, so it seems advisable for the present to recognize only one species.

In the widely umbilicated specimens the funicle is absent; sometimes, but not always, there is a slight furrow to mark its lower extremity. Such shells as the Petane ones, if considered on their own merits, would be classed as Euspira, but they are certainly closely related to if not specifically identical with N. maoria, which has a shelly operculum.

Natica denticulifera n. sp. (Plate 55, fig. 9.)

Shell small, ovate; spire raised, over half height of aperture; whorls 5, convex, often slightly depressed below suture; protoconch smooth, nucleus moderate; whorls polished, with irregular microscopic spirals; growth - lines well marked, stronger near suture, which is abutting; aperture semilunar; outer lip very slightly sinused above and scarcely retracted to suture, inclined 25° from vertical, inner margin straight with light parietal callus, lower border of which half-covers umbilicus; lower outside corner of callus marks apex of a triangular shallow depression with a small denticle on each side; umbilical funicle is absent unless lower part of apertural callus represents it.

Holotype in collection of New Zealand Geological Survey.

Height, 9 mm.; diameter, 8 mm.