±i8 The Irish Naturalist. [Septembet, 



MOI.I.USCA. 



BY R. STANDKN, 

 Hon. Curator, Concliological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. 



Concliological research at the Kenmare meeting was, on the whole, 

 carried out under the very worst conditions possible, due chiefly to the 

 tropical heat, and consequent dryness of everything. However much the 

 line weather might conduce to the general enjoyment, the long continued 

 drought — which dated from the 6th of June previous, and continued 

 throughout our stay — was highly inimical to shell-collecting. It was 

 purely by dogged perseverance on the part of the eight or nine workers, 

 combined with much experience, that anything like a respectable record 

 for the district was ultimately obtained, and the richness of the molluscan 

 fauna demonstrated. 



The numerous woods which stud the mountain-sides and valleys, and 

 fringe the rivers, streams, and lakes, grow principally on stony ground 

 covered with a wild profusion of mosses, ferns, and hosts of other plants 

 beloved by snails. The rock-masse on the hillsides, and the old walls, 

 clothed with an exquisite draper}- of moss, ferns, ivy, and other creeping 

 plants, afford shelter to many species of land molluscs. Ancient Irish 

 graveyards are usually a favourite haunt of land shells, and we found 

 that of St. Finan's a veritable treasure-house for many kinds, which 

 swarm upon the old tombstones, decaying coffin-boards, and rank 

 shoulder-high growth of nettles and other plants which overrun the 

 place in wild luxuriance. 



From every likely place bags full of moss-shakings, siftiugs of debris, 

 and rejectamenta of rivers and lakes were carefully collected and trans- 

 ported home for leisurely examination. The results of this easy method 

 of dry-weather collecting have proved very satisfactory, especially from 

 Mucksna Wood, Kenmare, and Tore Wood, Killarney. 



The freshwater mollusca are but poorly represented throughout the 

 district. The many lakes and streams examined yielded but few species, 

 and those of a somewhat stinted growth. One would certainly expect 

 to find more shell life in such quiet streams as the Loo, with its deep 

 clear water, and profusion of aquatic plants, but even this charming 

 river is very barren. I can only account for this poverty by supposing 

 the streams and lakes to be tainted with bog water, in which snails do 

 not thrive. The abiindance of fish may also have an adverse influence. 

 We found most of the little pools and narrow ditches dried up, so that 

 it was easy to pick whatever shells had been left stranded on the mud. 



In the compilation of the following list of 62 species observed in the 

 Kenmare and Killarney district, I have received much valuable assistance 

 from all my co-workers, and more especially from Messrs. Chaster, 

 Collier, and Welch, who have furnished many important notes. I am 

 also deeply indebted to Mr. Charles Oldham for kindly undertaking the 

 identification of doubtful Pisidia. In the list I have included not 

 only all records made during Conference week, and the extension trip 



