114 THE NAUTILUS. 



Philomycus carolinensis Bosc. Common. 



Pyramidula alternata Say. Common, especially on tree-trunks. 



Pyramidula perspectives Say. Common on fallen logs. 



Helicodiscus parallelus Say. Two specimens. 



Carychium exile Lea. Three specimens. 



OPEAS GRACILE (BUTTON) IN THE UNITED STATES. 



BY HERBERT H. SMITH. 



During a hurried collecting excursion in the outskirts of Mobile 

 (low land near the river) I found a single specimen of Opeas gracile. 

 The Museum of the Geological Survey of Alabama has three lots of 

 this species, all collected near Mobile, respectively by Dr. E. R. 

 Showalter, Dr. Charles Mohr and Mr. H. P. Loding. It appears to 

 be rather common, at least in the immediate vicinitj of the city. 

 Dr. Pilsbry's list of localities (Man. Conch., XVIII, pp. 198, 199) 

 shows that it is found all around the Caribbean Sea, on both sides of 

 Cuba and Santo Domingo and on the Gulf coast of Mexico. Whether 

 or not it is indigenous on the Alabama coast remains to be seen. It 

 is a shore species, hardly ever found more than a mile or two from 

 the sea, and it might easily be transported on timber which has lain 

 on the beach, or in ballast. On the other hand, it should be re- 

 membered that we know very little of the land-snails living on or 

 near our Gulf coasts. The question of a recent or older introduction 

 of this species can only be settled when we have studied the Alabama 

 coast region thoroughly ; if it is a recent introduction, its range must 

 be limited to the immediate vicinity of Mobile and perhaps the 

 upper bay ; if it is older it will, no doubt, be found on the low lands 

 of Baldwin county, and in Florida. 



Not feeling quite sure of my determination, I sent specimens of the 

 shell to Mr. Bryant Walker. In a recent letter he says: "It is 

 Opeas gracile Hutt. as you suspected. There are no published U. S. 

 records that I know of, but last spring, when I was in Charleston, 

 S. C., Mr. W. G. Mazyck gave me some that he had collected there 

 and said it was very abundant in that one locality." In this case it 

 seems very probable that the species has been introduced by com- 

 merce. 



Museum of the Geological Survey of Alabama, Sept. 6, 191 J. 



