LAND AND FRESH-WATER MOLLUSCA FROM TARBERT. 131 



colour as the last, but having a band of a darker 

 hue ; and alpestris, Ziegl. All these varieties, with 

 the exception of vars. roseolabiata and albolabiata of 

 H. nemovalis, were found in the vicinity of the old 

 castle at Tarbert. 



The very neat form of Zonites radiatidus, Alder, 

 known as variety wridescenti-alba, Jeff., was also 

 occasionally noticed, but for a more complete list 

 see Journal of Conchology, vol. vii. (1886), pp. 75-78. 



Among the molluscs collected by me were a num- 

 ber which had been more or less injured, but had 

 afterwards been able to some extent to repair their 

 shells. Where a piece of the original shell had 

 become detached, the space was covered over with 

 new shelly matter, but in no instance had the 

 original colours been replaced. One specimen showed 

 that the mollusc had been injured in such a way as 

 to cause the formation of a concentric band of 

 unfinished shell, while on each side of this band 

 the shell was of the normal structure and colour. 

 Another specimen showed that the mollusc had from 

 some cause been unable to cover its shell with the 

 usual epidermal layer, though otherwise the shell 

 was comparatively perfect. 



Among the injured shells were two — one a specimen 

 of Helix aspersa, the other of Helix nemoralis — which 

 showed in a very striking manner the remarkable 

 vitality of these creatures. The specimen of H. 

 aspersa referred to (the shell of which is included 

 in the collection now exhibited) had been so badly 

 injured as to assume a very unshapely appearance ; 

 and yet, on examining it when living, I found that 

 the mollusc had not only survived the serious crush 

 it had received, but had patched up its sadly 

 damaged shell so as to make it fairly habitable. It 

 was crawling about with its dilapidated tenement, 

 evidently— to some extent, at least — enjoying life 

 like its more fortunate neighbours, and acting on the 

 principle of " making the best " — not simply " of a 

 bad job," but of a very bad one. 



