THE NAUTILUS. 73 



Liguus-bearing forest. There has been a series of years with a 

 deficiency of rainfall, twelve in number according to a well- 

 informed settler on one of the keys, and the snails have been 

 driven to take refuge in crevices of trees and under the rocks 

 while doubtless many have been exterminated. Birds have 

 killed many more. Possibly dry weather has made food scarce 

 and caused the birds to prey to a greater extent on the snails 

 than usual. 



I am strongly inclined to believe that a few colonies of the 

 solidus may still exist on the Lower Keys. Three years ago I 

 found three adult specimens of the typical form of this on trees 

 back of the village of Big Pine. Several years ago Henderson 

 and Clapp found a large colony of solidulus on Stock Island, 

 but at my last visit to this only a few dead shells could be ob- 

 tained. Within a couple of years I have found several tolerably 

 fresh shells of graphicus on No Name, two on Sugarloaf and a 

 fairly good young solidulus on Summerland and Boca Chica. 

 There is still a good deal of hammock, some of it second growth 

 according to my friend, J. T. Knowles, of Big Pine Key, on 

 several of the islands, and the fact that settlement is decreasing 

 rather than extending on the lower chain makes it probable 

 that this growth may spread. If we could have a series of wet 

 years it is easily possible that these snails might increase and 

 be abundant again in places. There is no group of land snails 

 on earth with more wonderfully beautiful shells than those of 

 Ligum solidus. Their texture is of a marvellously delicate por- 

 celain, their polish is remarkable and the colors of some are 

 bizarre and extremely rich. 



NOTE. The above forms part of a chapter of my forthcoming book entitled 

 "Out of Doors in Florida." 



