AKCHACHATINA. 109 



irregularly and raggedly so. In a few cases I have found 

 remains of a caducous horny cuticle. The cuticle, white 

 stripes, and the bluish "bloorn" which overlays the shell like 

 that of an untouched plum, are wanting in almost all col- 

 lection specimens, for the dealers' cleaning, with acid, etc., 

 has here as in other cases, only too often destroyed the true 

 characters in an endeavor to beautify. 



This species is a regular article of trade, being universally 

 eaten. It is therefore scarcer than it must have been in 

 Bang's time. In the town, five were worth the price of a 

 fowl. They differ only slightly in taste from Helix pomatia. 

 Most specimens in collections are reddish-brown, from loss 

 of the external coat. The surface shows a peculiar granu- 

 lation in places. Rang obtained an albino individual, and 

 Dohrn a couple of pale flesh-colored ones, on Prince Island. 

 One of these has been figured by Pfeiffer under the name var. 

 carnca (pi. 19, fig. 27). It is apparently a variation rather 

 than a variety. 



A dextral specimen was taken by Newton on St. Thome. 



Group of A. marginata. 



The shell is dextral, solid, white or blue- white within, the 

 columella and parietal wall are whitish, roseate or purple. 



2. A. MARGINATA (Swainson). PI. 24, figs. 22, 23 ; pi. 25, fig. 26. 



Ovate, solid and strong; yellow, marked with broad streaks 

 or serrate stripes of rich chestnut or blackish chestnut, and 

 typically more or less dappled between them; early whorls 

 pale roseate. There is usually at the periphery an indistinct 

 line, or a change to darker color below. The surface, nearly 

 smooth to the eye, or showing faint spiral lines, has a fine 

 woven texture under the lens Whorls 7, moderately con- 

 vex, but concavely impressed below the suture, and marked 

 with one or two grooves, defining a narrow subsutural margin. 

 The suture is either even or finely crenulate. Apex very 

 obtuse, the flames beginning on the fourth whorl. Aperture 

 large, blue-tcliil< inside. Outer and basal mart/ins (.r^niidi d, 

 thicken<d iri/liin, bevelled. Columella white, very concave, 

 prominent below. 



