igiS. HUGGINS. — Limnaeae of West Cork Alpine Lakes, 127 



Lough Namaddra, 1,200 feet ; also contains L. praetemtis. 



I noted the fact as lakes just as close together in the 



Caha range contain different races. 



Lough More, 400 feet, on the Bantry Road, contains a 



race of L. pereger exactly similar to that found in 



Lough Eekenohoolikeaghaum, except that specimens 



are rarely decollated, and I noticed none of the curious 



round-spired specimens mentioned above. 



For a thorough comprehension of these alpine shells it 



must be borne in mind that such shells as " L. praetenuis " 



and " L. involuta " are by no means constant, even in their 



original type-locality. I do not attach an exaggerated 



importance to unsupported testaceological characters, but 



it must be noted that by judicious selection a series can 



be made grading from the lake form of '' L. pereger " found 



in Caha Lough " F " to the slightly intorted specimens 



found there, and thence through the " L. involuta " of 



Barley Lake down to the most extreme forms found in 



Lough Crincaum, without the slightest break in the chain. 



" L. praetenuis " exhibits the same variations ; Dr. R. F. 



Scharff tells me the Donegal specimens differ somewhat 



from the Kerry ones, and ]\Ir. A. S. Kennard has shown 



me some from Donegal localities, of which some specimens 



are quite as thick as some of the Glengarriff " L. pereger," 



and others as extremely intorted as any " L. involuta " I 



have seen. Finally Dr. Scharff tells me that he was 



informed some years back that " L. involuta," bred in 



captivity, produced " L. pereger " in the second generation, 



but most unfortunately we do not know under what 



conditions this otherwise most valuable experiment was 



carried out, and hence must discard it for the present. 



Since writing the above, I have been able, through the 

 kindness of Mr. A. S. Kennard, to examine the specimens 

 of " L. praete ids " taken in the lakes of Donegal and 

 Fern.anagh by the late Major Trevelyan. Further ex- 

 amination has only confirmed my previous opinion that 

 " L. praetenuis " is a myth, at least so far as testaceolo- 

 gical characters go ; no specimens from any one locality 

 resemble closely those from any other, and none agree 

 with the description of the shell given in the Rev. E. W, 



