1897.] S'iK^T)V:^.— Land Mollusca of Bally castle, 3 



This talus is the place par excclleiice for land-shells of many 

 species, and the varied vegetation growing thereon adapts it 

 especially to the requirements of moUuscan life — particularly 

 when, as at Murlough, it happens to be well wooded, for here 

 we get many forms of slugs not met with in less sheltered and 

 dryer situations. 



The various streams and small lakes examined were remark- 

 ably barren, the only fluviatile mollusc found being a small 

 form of LiniJicsa tnmcatida in a swampy place on Fair Head. 

 Mr. R. Welch has, however, taken Lim7icBa peregra and L. 

 palustris in a ditch on Lemanagh Mountain, above White- 

 park, in 1889 ; and ^?^^J'/7^57^^^^'/^///^5 in Portaleen Glen, just 

 south of Murlough, in 1893. 



As regards previous conchological work in this district : 

 although Thompson, the famous Irish naturalist, gives many 

 records for Co. Antrim and North of Ireland generally, 

 in his '•' Natural History of Ireland," vol. iv., and presumably 

 includes Ballycastle, he only mentions the place specifically 

 as a locality for Helix virgata. His remark " generally dis- 

 tributed" is often used, and usually refers to all Ireland. 

 Probably he had so many Antrim records for any fairly 

 common species that he confined his localities as far as pos- 

 sible to those counties where he had to depend upon the 

 co-operation of correspondents and friends. Mr. R. Welch 

 has collected about thirty species in the district on various 

 visits during the past few years ; and by his fortunate dis- 

 covery of Helix arbustoriun at Murlough in May last, has 

 added another to the very few recorded stations for it in 

 Ireland. He has also collected several species on Rathlin 

 Island (which we had not time to visit), and I note these 

 records in the list. Miss O'Connor, of Ballycastle, kindly 

 showed us her collection of exotic shells, and embodied 

 amongst them I noticed a few nice examples of the larger 

 species of Helices common to the district, and collected by 

 her in the neighbourhood. 



The classification and nomenclature employed in the sub- 

 joined list is that given in " Irish I^and and Freshwater 

 Mollusca," by Dr. Scharff".^ 



* Irish Nat.y vol. I., 1892. 



A 2 



