Hi SYNONYMY OP ACHATINELLID^E. 



Dissections of a considerable number of species indicate 

 that the soft anatomy shows even less specific differentiation 

 than the shells. Further work along this line should be done ; 

 but my impression is that very little assistance is to be ex- 

 pected from the soft parts in distinguishing closely related 

 species of Achatinella. I did not have time to test the value 

 of body or mantle color as a specific character. It is not 

 U\ely to be more constant than shell color. 



Finally, we have to do with artifacts. Newcomb, Gulick 

 and others have commented upon the manufacture of "new 

 species ' ' of Achatinella, practised by some persons. These in- 

 dividuals were not actuated by a desire to advance science. 

 They were moved by cupidity, or a perverted sense of humor. 

 Perhaps all of the old collections contain some of these altered 

 or ' ' improved ' ' shells. The commonest alteration is a change 

 of hue by the use of hot water. Other patterns were altered 

 by scraping the very thin colored cuticle, sometimes adding 

 bands with colored ink, as in pi. 30, figs. 48, 48a, 51, 52. An 

 ingenious method practised years ago, which Dr. Cooke ob- 

 tained from an old resident of Honolulu, was to glue thread 

 around the suture or elsewhere, and hold the shell in the 

 smoke of a whale oil lamp. When the thread was soaked off, 

 some weird color-effects Avere produced. 



The synonymy of Partulina is less involved than that of 

 Achatinella. The species differ much more in shape and size, 

 and are less variable in color and pattern. In other words, 

 there has been much more speciation. Moreover, the shells 

 have been collected less. Probably when Maui is more fully 

 explored some of the accepted species will be found to inter- 

 grade. The Amastridcu present 110 special problems in the 

 distinction of species. They are not more or less difficult 

 than ground-shells of other parts of the world. 



HISTORICAL NOTES ON THE LITERATURE. 



I. 



The first Achatinellid shells brought to Europe, so far as 

 we know, were obtained by Captain George Dixon, who visited 

 the Hawaiian Islands in 1786 and 1787. They were strung 



