11R Mr. Jeffreys on British Mollusca, 



A. M. Norman, and Mr. Spence Bate, for their valuable co- 

 operation. 



Some conchologists entertain a doubt whether the Channel 

 Isles can be properly considered part of Great Britain for natural- 

 history purposes, because their geographical situation places 

 them nearer to the French than our own coasts ; but the Sarnie 

 fauna and flora (although peculiar) have always been considered 

 British by our chief naturalists ; and our continental neighbours 

 have never, I believe, appropriated or claimed them as their own. 

 Although this part of our sea-coast had been for several years 

 past diligently explored by Mr. Hanley, Mr. Metcalfe, Mr. Bar- 

 lee, and several other collectors, many species new to Great 

 Britain have now turned up ; some of them (e. g. Triton nodi- 

 ferus and cutaceus, Cardium papillosum and Argiope decollata) 

 being not only of a conspicuous size, but including one of the 

 largest known European shells. The zeal and intelligence of 

 Dr. Lukis will doubtless increase our knowledge of the Testacea 

 in this district ; and it is to be hoped that he may be induced 

 to publish a special account of that branch of the Sarnie fauna. 

 I have never myself had the good fortune to visit the Channel 

 Isles; but through his kindness I have had and examined a 

 quantity of shell-sand which was dredged up, by his directions, 

 at a considerable distance from land, and at a depth of from 15 

 to 20 fathoms, and I have been thus enabled to form some idea 

 of the conchological wealth and variety which appear to abound 

 in this part of our seas. The shells from this district are prin- 

 cipally of a Mediterranean character. 



Mr. Waller also kindly sent me some shell-sand which he has 

 lately dredged up from the Turbot Bank off the coast of County 

 Antrim, at a depth of about 25 fathoms ; and although I have 

 not yet had time to examine it carefully, the contents (so far as 

 a superficial view enables me to judge) deserve, in my opinion, 

 special notice. What have been hitherto regarded as northern 

 and southern forms are here found to be closely associated to- 

 gether. Buccinum Holbbllii, Scalar ia (?) Eschrichti, Natica clausa, 

 Margarita cinerea and Trophon scalariformis (which are decidedly 

 Arctic species), Crania anomala, Trichotropis borealis and Punc- 

 turella Noachina (according to the late Professor Edward Forbes, 

 "Boreal" types), Terebratula caput -serpentis, Lima subauriculata 

 and Fissurella reticulata (" Atlantic "), Argiope cistellula, Trochus 

 Montagui and Pecten tigrinus ("British"), Astarte sulcata, Buc- 

 cinum undatumand Venus casina (" Celtic"), Artemis lincta, Cor- 

 bula nucleus and Trochus cinerarius ("European"), and Rissoa 

 striatula (" Lusitanian"), all in the same fresh and apparently 

 recent condition, are found to be collected in the same locality, as 

 if on purpose to confound or perplex the theories of geographical 



