"Nests" of Two Mollusks, Lima Hians (GM.) and L. Loscombi SowAuthor(s): Nora FisherSource: The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Vol. 6, No. 5 (Sep., 1936), p. 117Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25532621 .

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The Irish Naturalists' Journal.

Plate :>.

p. 117. Photograph*: P. J. Welch. M.Sc. M.P.I.A.

Nora Fisher?" Nests "

of Two Mollusks.

I'pper. Lima hians (Gnu). In nest of nieces of corallines. Dredged in the Clvde l?v Major Martin. 1857. Ilviidniau Coll.. Municipal Museum,

Belfast. Lower. Lima loseomhi (J. 1>. Sow. In iirst of fragment;; of shells,

crabs, ami small stones, in valve of Modiolus modiolus (L.). Dredged off the Copelaml Islands, in 50 frns., 1857. Hyndman Coll., Municipal Museum,.

Belfast.

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September, 1936.] The Irish Naturalists' Journal. 117

REFERENCES.

(1) Lynn, M. J., unci M'Gurk, J. Irish Naturalists' Journal, vol. V, no. 3, May, 1934.

(2) Cotton, A. D. Nature, no. 3329, vol. 132, August, 1933.

(3) Cottam, Clarence. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Wildlife Research and Management leaflet, BS?3, February, 1935.

(4) lLackburn, K. IJ. Nature, vol. 134, p. 738, 1934.

(5) Praeger, R. Lloyd. 77* e Botanist in Ireland, 1934.

?(6) Renouf, L. P. W. Nature, June, 1934.

(7) Lewiti, 11. F. 7V/e Eel-grass Situation on the Atlantic Coast.

Rep. from National Parks Dept., Canada, Nov., 1932.

(8) Butcher, R. W. "

Report on the present condition of Eel-grass on the coasts of England." Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries He port, Dec, 1933.

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(10 Tutin. "

The Fungus on Zostera marina." Nature, vol. 134, 1934.

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Department of Botany, Queen's University, Belfast.

-o

" NESTS " OF TWO MOLLUSKS, LIMA HIANS (GM.) AND L. L08C0MBI SOW.

By Nora Fisher.

Plate 5.

There are several species of the genus Lima, but apparently only Lima hians and L. loscombi form nests. It does not seem to have been ascertained for what purpose the nests are con

structed, but according to Jeffreys Limas of all ages are found in them, each enclosed in a separate nest. The nests are

composed of small shells, stones, or fragments of corallines,

fastened together with fine golden-brown byssal threads. Inside lies the Lima, on a smooth inner lining of fibres. L. hians nearly

always makes a nest, but L. loscombi lives on soft ground, and

very seldom makes a nest. The history of the discovery of Lima loscombVs nest is interesting. James Hose Cleland, of

llathgael; House, Bangor, Co. Down, one of the first to dredge in Ulster waters, was the first to find a

" nested

" specimen

of L. loscombi. He dredged it off the Copeland Islands, Co.

Down, living in its nest, near the beginning of the nineteenth

century. Years later the great conchologist, Gwyn Jeffreys, took

another specimen in the same place, and comments upon it in

British Conchologg, vol. 2, p. 86 (1863). As records of "nested"

L. loscombi appear to be very few in number, perhaps the

existence of a specimen in the Hyndman Collection of British

Mollusca (now in the Municipal Museum, Belfast) is worth

putting on record. It was dredged off the Copeland Islands, in

50 fathoms, in 1857. It agrees perfectly with Jeffreys' account

of his north Irish specimen, and is possibly the original of his

description.

Free Public Museums, Liverpool.

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