Monodonta lineata (da C.) Not Extinct in East Ireland!Author(s): Nora FisherSource: The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Vol. 6, No. 4 (Jul., 1936), p. 102Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25532614 .

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102 The Irish Naturalists' Journal. [^ol. VI.

IRISH COLEOPTERA RECORDS. The following beetles appear, from the information I have been able to

acquire, to be records for the localities mentioned against each. 1. Haliplus nornax B-B. One, Recess, West Galway, 13th July, 1934.

2. H. ruficollis de G. Male and female, Recess, West Galway, 13th July, 1934.

3. H. wehnckei Gerh. Co. Monaghan, 17th July, 1934; and Lough Derryadd, Co. Armagh, 5th October, 1935.

4. Ilybius ater de G. One, 4th July, 1935; one, 2nd April, 1936; both in pond at Dunraven, Belfast, Co. Antrim.

5. Philydrus nigricans Zett. One, old pond near Giant's Ring, Co. Down, 15th February, 1936.

6. P. coarctatus Gredl One in pond on Malone Golf Course, Belfast, 14th March, 1936.

7. Ochthebius impressus Marsh, (pygmaeiis F.). One, Soldierstown, 25th April; one near Gawley's Gate, 2nd May, 1936; both in Co. Antrim.

8. Hygronoma dimidiata Grav. One in bog near Ballymoney, Co.

Antrim, 14th April, 1936. 9. Stenus bifoveolatus Gyll. In pond near Giant's Ring, Co. Down,

28th March, 1936. For i dentin cation of the first three, I am indebted to the Rev. E. J.

Pearce of Yorkshire; for Nos. 5, 6 and 8 to Dr. K. G. Blair; and for 7 and 9 to Mr. Eugene O'Mahony, National Museum, Dublin. To all of these I tender my warm thanks.

58 Marlborough Park South, Belfast. W. M. CRAWFORD.

MONODONTA LI NEAT A (da C.) NOT EXTINCT IN EAST IRELAND!

Thompson (Nat. Hist. Ireland, vol 4, p. 321) writing before 1856, says of Monodonta lineata, "This littoral species is unknown to me further north on the eastern line of coast than Ballywalter, County Down (64^? Lat.). Southward it is common, but does not appear to be universally distributed."

More than sixty years later Southern (Clare Island Survey, Proc, R.I.A., vol. 31, pt. 67, pp. 44-5, 1915) wrote of the same species "either extinct or

very rare on the north and east coasts of Ireland," and again (p. 103) "The

Mollusc, Trochocochlea [ = Monodonta] lineata, which flourishes on the west

coast of Ireland, has become practically extinct in quite recent times on the east coast, where only dead shells are now to be found." He suggests (p. 45) that the iimiting factor of its distribution may be the absence or presence of it? food-plant, possibly one o>f the littoral Lichens.

Whatever the limiting factor may be, the following notes show that Monodonta lineata is not yet extinct on the east coast of Ireland,

(a.) Go, Dublin, Colgan (Proc. R.I.A., 39 B, p. 421, 1930) says "Very rare

and not certainly recorded as found living on the shores of the county. Dublin Bay: Turton '16. Dublin Bay, one specimen: Brown '18. Bal

briggan (Dr. Far ran) ; now extinct: Adams '78. A sdngle fresh shell on the Island, Malahide, 1910, and another, not fresh, on the beach at

Malahide, 1913: Miss A. L. Massy." Mr. A. W. Stelfox, while col

lecting with me at Balbriggan on May 18th, 1936, picked up a fine living

specimen. The shell is now in Liverpool Museum collection,

(b.) Co. Down. At Ballywalter, the most northerly station for Monodonta, two careful searches failed to reveal even a single shell, nor could I find

it at Ardglass, farther south. However, at Killowen, Co. Down shore

of Carlingford Lough, I discovered a large and flourishing colony on

May 31st, 1936. The mollusks were living on low reefs on the shore

between midtide level and H.W^.M., about half a mile below Killowen

gravel-spit. (c.) Co. Londonderry. Recently, while looking over a large collection of

shells made at Portstewart during the early part of the last century, I

noted two perfect though "dead" S'heP.s of Monodonta, labelled in the

collector's handwriting "

Trochus?Portstewart." The collection was

made by a Miss Cairns who lived at Portstewart, and the shells are all

carefully labelled. Unfortunately, the collection also contains shells

from Co. Kerry, and it is possible that there has been some confusion

of localities. Public Museums, Liverpool. NORA FISHER.

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