Hobart Town 1876.
Copied by under Copyright Act 1968 S49 and S50.
page 27
ON SOME NEW SPECIES OF TASMANIAN MARINE SHELLS.
BY THE REV. J. E. TENISON WOODS, F.G.S., F.L.S., &c.
[Read 18th April, 1875.]
The following species of marine shells have been placed at my disposal for description by Mr. W. Legrand, the well-known conchologist of Hobart Town. They were all procured recently in a series of dredging operations, conducted by the Rev. H. D. Atkinson, in Long Bay, D'Entrecasteaux Channel. They are eight in number, comprising three species of MARGINELLA, and one species respectively of the genera TRIFORIS, ODONTOSTOMA, EULIMA (?) NEAERA, and CARDITA. Apparently they have hitherto escaped the attention of naturalists, owing no doubt to their very small size, and probably also because dredging in the interests of conchology has been almost untried in Tasmania. All the shells have an Australian facies, that is to say, they are all more or less allied to those species which are characteristic of Australia. The Odontostoma seems to me, however, inseparable from a well-known miocene fossil. It would be interesting to find well-proved instances of survivors from the extinct cainozoic fauna of Europe. Analogy would lead us to look for the survivors here, and further investigation may show that the search has not proved in vain. The following is the diagnosis :-
1. CARDITA ATKINSONI, nov. spec. C. testa parva, fusca, suborbiculato-cordiformi, sub-obliqua, 16-costata; costis radiantibus, nodoso-imbricatis, lunula obsoleta. Long. 13. Lat. 12. millimetres.
C. shell small dusky, suborbiculately cordiform, sub-oblique, 16-ribbed ; ribs radiating, nodosely imbricate, lunule obsolete.
This shell has, at the request of Mr. Legrand, been named after the Rev. H. D. Atkinson, who has given much attention to dredging investigations. The shells are rather common, but found in few other places besides Long Bay.
2. NEAERA TASMANICA, n.s. N. testa parva, fragilis, sub-fusca, transversa, tenuis, inequivalvis, clausa, transversim regulariter sulcata; sulcis paucis, latere antico rotundato, portico rostrato. Long. 5. Lat. 3. millimetres.
N. shell, small fragile, dusky, thin, inaequivalve, closed, regularly transversely sulcate, sulci few, anterior end rounded ; posterior prolonged or rostrate. Long Bay, 6 fathoms. The small size and regular sulci of this species easily serve to distinguish it. Rare.
3. MARGINELLA MINUTISSIMA, n.s. M. testa, minutissima, ovata, ovuliformi, nitente-fusca spira immersa; anfractibus superne productis; labro modice incrassato ; aperture curvata; columella triplicata, superne obsolete dentata. Long. 3. Lat. 1. millimetres.
M. shell ovate, most minute, ovuliform, shining fawn color,
page 28
spire immersed,whorl produced abovo,lip moderately thickened, aperture curved, columella tri-plicate, and above obsoletely unidentate. Dredged at a depth of 6 fathoms. A single specimen, the only one seen during many years' collecting in Tasmania by Mr. Legrand.
4. MARGINELLA ALLPORTI, n. s. M. testa parva, ovato-turbinata, nitida, anfractibus superne sulcatis, spira conica, exserta ; labro incras-sato, superne emarginato ; columella 4-plicata, apertura ad basin latiuscula ; albofusca pallide tri-fasciata. Long. 9. Lat. 5 mill. Anfr. 4.
M. shell small, ovately turbinate, shining, whorls sulcate above, spire conical, exsert, outer lip thickened, emarginate above, columella, distinctly 4-plicate, aperture slightly wider at the base, color whitish brown, with three pale bands. Found in the dredge at the same time as the above, with three other specimens.
5. MARGINELLA TASMANICA, n. s. M. testa fusiformi-oblonga, diaphano-alba, nitente, spira acuta, elevata, anfractibus (5) ad angulum callosis, labro rotundato, incrassato, eburneo; columella triplicata, exteriusque callosa. Long. 10. Lat. 4 millim.
M. shell fusiformly-oblong, translucently white and shining, spire acute, elevated, whorls five, suture obliterated by a kind of callosity, lip rotundately thickened, waxy-white, columella tri-plicate, exteriorly callous.
This shell is much smaller and much narrower than M. muscaria Lam. with a somewhat sharp spire. It has little or no colour, but the callosity at the suture gives it a white banded appearance round the spire. It has rather a prominent callosity above the columella at the mouth, and resembles M. muscaria in the way the outer lip is thickened. Not uncommon in Storm Bay.
4. TRIFORIS TASMANICA. T. testa, parva, sinistrorsa, elongata, subulata, angusta, acutissima; anfractibus numerosis, planatis, triplici serie granulorum cinctis, ad suturam rufo maculatis ; columella contorta, arcuata. Long. 9 mill. Anfr. 13.
T. Shell small sinistral, elongately subulate, narrow, very sharp, whorls numerous, flat, circled with a triple series of granules at the suture, spotted red between the granules; columella twisted and arched.
Two specimens dredged up at Long Bay.
ODONTOSTOMA. This genus was proposed by Fleming in the year 1819 (Edinburgh Encyclop., Art. Conchology) for turriculate subconical shining shells with flattened whorls either smooth or long, or transversely sulcate, aperture suboval, peristome continuous, first two whorls sinistral. Fleming named the shell Odostomia, but Haidinger (Abhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Koniglichen Geologischen Reichsanstalt, 3 band 1856), has pointed out that since the word is derived
page 29
from the genitive inflexion οδοντος [tooth] and ςτομα [paste], the name should be Odontostoma which I adopt.
5. ODONTOSTOMA TASMANICA. n.s. O. testa, minutes, suolusca, elongates conoidea, turrita, loevissima, politer; apice,. sinistrorso ; anfractibus, 6-8, planiusculis; suturis distinctis; ultimo anfracto subangulato; apertura semi-ovata; columella uniplicata; labro, acuto, intus dentato. Long. 2 mill.
O. Shell minute elongately conoidal, turriculate, polished, apex sinistral, whorls 6 to 8, somewhat flattened, suture distinct, last whorl subangulate, aperture semi-ovate, colu mella uniplicate, outer lip acute, and toothed within.
I can find no difference whatever between this shell and the minute shell of our Upper European tertiary (O. plicatus Wood in the monograph of Crag, Mollusca synon. Turbo plicatus Montague Testacea Britannica, vol. 1, p. 85. Plate 9, fig. 3.) It is probable, however, that an extensive comparison of specimens might show them to be distinct. The present species was dredged up from Long Bay by Mr. Legrand.
It should be remarked that Odontostoma is a synonym of. of D'Orbigny (1841) for Proserpina and the name should be carefully distinguished from Odontostomus, separated from Bulimus by Beck, in 1837. The present species seems to be very near O. nitida. Alder.
6. EULIMA TASMANICA, n.s. E. testa minuta, sub-fusca, elongato-conoidea, imperforata, loevigata, politar; aperturas integra, rotundata; labro incrassato; labio reflexo. Anfractibus (6) convexiusculis. Long. 3 mil.
E. shell minute, dusky, elongately conoid, imperforate, smooth, polished, aperture entire, rounded, outer lip thickened, inner lip reflexed ; whorls 6, somewhat convex. Long Bay ; 6 fathoms. W. Legrand.
This minute shell is doubtfully referred to Eulima; but there appears to be no other genus now under which it can be appropriately placed. Its somewhat depressed form makes it like the preceding species in shape, but it is a larger shell. Under the microscope, the absence of any folds on the columella, the entire or reflexed lip, readily distinguish it. It is not common.