Zoological Society. 



into the wood in the middle of a dry day without being wetted 

 through. Added to all this is the quantity of fallen branches, sticks 

 and whole trunks of trees, which rot upon the ground, and the in- 

 side of which is frequently already converted into rich earth, even if 

 their outer bark has been preserved as a thin and light fragile crust. 

 Thus the outer conditions requisite for the growth and origin of the 

 fungi (heat, moisture, and abundance of decaying organic sub- 

 stances) are always present in the tropical woods ; and indeed we 

 find these woods decorated with manifold forms of fungi throughout 

 the whole year, without its being possible to observe at any parti- 

 cular time a more frequent occurrence, as in the autumn of the tem- 

 perate zones. Even the individual species are limited to no time, and 

 the occurrence of the same species is uninterruptedly continued. On 

 the other hand, the fungi are not found in the tropics in such groups ; 

 they are less sociable than in our climate, where in autumn they 

 principally enliven the woods. They here occur more scattered and 

 isolated, although found at every period of the year ; and it is the 

 parasitic Polypori, which are especially numerous on the branches 

 of the trees, that delight the eye by their brilliant colours. In cen- 

 tral Europe the Agarici terrestres prevail, and determine the physi- 

 ognomy of an autumnal wood. 



[To be continued.] 



PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



May 13, 1845. — William Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 

 " Descriptions of new species of Land Shells, from the collection 

 of Hugh Cuming, Esq.," by Dr. Louis PfeifFer : — 



1. Helix geandis, Pfr. Hel. testd imperforatd, glohoso-turUnatd, 

 solidd, ponderosd, striatd, nigricanti-rufd, epidermide griseo- 

 fuscescente fasciatim ohductd ; spird conicd, apice pallidd ; an- 

 fractihus 6 vix convexiuscuUs, ultimo spird breviore, basi inflato, 

 fortius striata ; columelld verticali, brevi, subtortd ; aperturd late 



lunari, intus margaritaced ; peristomate nigricante, late expanso, 

 margine basali incrassato, rejlexo, cum columellari valde dilatato, 

 albido angulum obtusum formante. 



Diam. 68 ; alt. 58 mill. 



Found at Bangui, province of North Ilocos, island of Luzon, by 

 H. Cuming, Esq. 



2. Helix Gmeliniana, Pfr. Hel. testd imperforatd, globoso- 

 depressd, soliduld, irregulariter rugoso-malleatd, carinatd, nitidd, 

 pallide viridi, ad suturam et infra carinam albo-cingulatd ; spird 

 subelevatd, apice obtusd, albidd ; anfractibus 4^ vix convexiuscuUs, 

 sensim accrescentibus, ultimo non descendente, basi planiusculd ; 

 aperturce angulato-lunari ; peristomate subincrassato, margine su- 

 pero breviter expanso, antrorsum arcuato, basali rejlexo, columel- 

 lari declivi, dilatato, albo-calloso. 



Diam. 23; alt. 13 mill. 



Found at Bayambong, island of Luzon, by H. Cuming, Esq. 



