THE NAUTILUS. 



VOL. XV. OCTOBER, 19O1. No. 6. 



LAND MOLLUSKS OF THE NORTHEASTERN GROUP OF THE LOO 



CHOO ISLANDS. 



BY HENRY A. PILSBRT. 



The exploration of Tane-ga-shima and Yaku-no-shima (Yaku- 

 shima), effected under the direction of Mr. Y. Hirase, gives us abso- 

 lutely the first information upon the land mollusca of the " north- 

 eastern group " of the Loo Choo Islands. 



Tane-ga-shima is a well-cultivated island, about 32 miles long and 

 5 wide. It is comparativeJy low, the highest point having an eleva- 

 tion of about 1200 feet. It is somewhat noted as being the first 

 Japanese soil trod by an European. In 1542, Mendez Pinto, the 

 Portugese adventurer, landed there, astonishing the natives with his 

 firearms. I have named a diminutive Clausilia in memory of this 

 circumstance. 



Yaku-shima is a wilder, forested island, nearly circular, with a 

 diameter of about 15 miles. It towers in a splendid mountain mass 

 6000 feet, above the sea. The snail faunas of the two islands seem 

 to be very similar, with a number of identical species. I do not 

 know whether Mr. Hirase's collector ascended the peak of Yaku- 

 shima ; probably not. The heights would probably have different 

 species from the shore zone. 



A Helicid species, Eulota (Euhadra) submandarina, described by 

 me many years ago from two bleached specimen; , one said to be from 

 the " Loo Choo Islands," the other labeled u China," proves to be 

 a characteristic species of these islands. Jt is quite unlike other 

 known Japanese forms, both in shell and soft anatomy. Eulota sub- 



