Mr. A. Murray on a marked variety 0/ Patella vulgata. 211 



appears to leave no doubt on the subject. An immature speci- 

 men before me might be supposed to have furnished the en- 

 graver with his model ; and a larger and more solid specimen, 

 with the thickened peristome fully developed, at once stamps 

 the form as belonging to Cyclophorus. The operculum has not 

 been seen. The attention of future collectors in Ava should be 

 particularly directed to the capture of a living example. 

 Cannes, 15th January 1857. 



XVII. — Notice of a mar-ked variety of Patella vulgata [pro- 

 posed to be named var. intermedia), found in Guernsey and 

 Jersey [from information communicated by Dr. Knapp). By 

 Andrew Murray, Edinburgh. 



The shell in question was collected by Dr. Knapp at St. Owen's 

 Bay in Jersey, and also near St. Samson^s in Guernsey. He has 

 never found it either in England or Scotland. He discovered it 

 in both the above islands, along with and in the same localities 

 as vulgata and athletica ; but athletica was always nearer low- 

 water mark, and very often in pools submerged, while the pre- 

 sent shell was, like vulgata, almost invariably nearer high-water 

 mark. 



Various differences in the characters of the shells are also to 

 be noted. The animal of the present shell is always black or 

 dark-coloured, while that of athletica is white, with a yellow or 

 orange tint ; and here Dr. Knapp wishes me to correct a mis- 

 apprehension into which the late Prof. Edward Forbes had fallen 

 regarding some information given him on this point byDr.Knapp, 

 and which he has recorded in his ^British Mollusca.' In 

 speaking of the colour of the animal of athletica, he states it to 

 be always pale-coloured ; but he adds, in a note, " Dr. Knapp, 

 however, has sent us specimens of the China Limpet [athletica) 

 from both Guernsey and Jersey, with the note that ' the animal 

 is always black or dark-coloured.' " Now, this is entirely 

 a misapprehension of Dr. Knapp's communication to Prof. 

 Forbes, or, at all events, of what he intended to communicate. 

 The mollusk whose animal he spoke of as being always dark, 

 was this intermediate variety or species. It, as already men- 

 tioned, he found to be always dark ; but he found athletica in- 

 variably pale. Prof. Forbes therefore must either have assumed 

 that Dr. Knapp was speaking of athletica, or, what appears to 

 me more probable. Dr. Knapp having sent him specimens of 

 this shell with his remarks upon it, Prof. Forbes had determined 

 it in his own mind to be athletica, and had thereupon imported 

 the remarks upon it into his description of that species. 



14* 



