THE NAUTILUS. 17 



THE SIERRA DE CUBITAS, CAMAGUEY, CUBA. 



BY JOHN B. HENDERSON. 



Modern railway extension in Cuba has opened many new 

 fields of exploration in that delightful island which were denied 

 to the past generation of collectors. This is especially the case 

 in the central provinces of Santa Clara and Camaguey. In 

 northern Camaguey there is an east and west range of hills 

 known as the Sierra de Cubitas which raise their limestone crests 

 about six or seven hundred feet above the level plains of the 

 province. Like all limestone elevations in Cuba these present 

 a forested region of great variety and richness which in this in- 

 stance contrasts strongly with the almost treeless prairies that 

 surround them. 



The first mollusk record from the Cubitas was made by Carlos 

 de la Torre who gathered there a few shells some ten years ago. 

 Stillman Berry traversed one of the passes of the range about two 

 years ago and took a few specimens en route. These he gener- 

 ously divided with me and at the first glance I then and there 

 decided to take the very first opportunity to visit the region. 

 All his shells were new. In December last, Mrs. A. C. Reed of 

 Camaguey, an American who takes a great interest in Cuban 

 land shells, spent a day collecting at the Loma de Borje, an 

 outlaying isolated hill of the Cubitas system, and her catch was 

 remarkable in the number of new operculates and long slender 

 Microceramus belonging to quite a new group. Save for two 

 species (Macroceramus hendersoni Torre and Microceramus longa 

 Hend.) none of the novelties obtained here have been published. 



In February last the looked-for opportunity arrived, and 

 Charles T. Simpson, Carlos de la Torre and I proceeded to 

 Camaguey, where we outfited for an assault upon the hills. 

 Four days were spent in an almost frenzied siege upon the mol- 

 lusks along a ten or twelve mile front, and I believe we have 

 overlooked very little. We made little or no effort to collect 

 the larger tree snails of wider distribution, but persisted in our 

 search for the special things that are confined to this range. 

 The two particular and striking elements are the development 

 of a series of operculates that cannot very definitely be placed 



