214 HELICIDiE. 



narrow yellowish-brown or chestnut band immediately above 

 the periphery, and from two to seven smaller bands of the 

 same colour below it; the colour is equally variable in this 

 species as in II. virgata, being also occasionally plain yellowish- 

 white, or dark brown with a single white band, or the dark 

 bands are streaked or interrupted, so as to make the surface 

 appear mottled or spotted ; sculpture consisting only of striae 

 in the line of growth, which are exceedingly strong and close 

 together, resembling ribs : periphery obtusely keeled : epidermis 

 very slight : whorls 6, compressed towards the peripherj^, but 

 rather convex below ; the last occupying about two-fifths of 

 the shell ; top whorls minutely granulated : spire slightly 

 raised, often chestnut-brown at the summit : suture rather 

 deep : mouth shaped as in H. virgatii but more oblique, inside 

 furnished with a strong white rib which is sometimes double : 

 outer lip sharp, slightly reflected towards (and considerably 

 so over) the umbiHcus, somewhat inflected above : umbilicus 

 moderately open and exposing aU the inner spii'e. L. 0-225. 

 B. 0-375. 



Var. 1. major. Shell larger. L. 0-25. B. 0-5. 



Var. 2. ornata, Picard. Shell smaller, with broader and 

 darker bands. L. 0-15. B. 0-3. 



Var. 3. subscala7^is. Shell conical : whorls more convex. 



Var. 4. Gigaxii. Shell rather smaller : spire more de- 

 pressed : umhilicus consequently larger. H. Gigaxii, Char- 

 pentier, MS. in sched. and mus. Cuming ! 



Habitat : Under stones and on the stalks of grass 

 and shrubs in dry and sandy soils in most parts of 

 Great Britain^ both inland and maritime, from the 

 Moray Firth district to the Channel Isles. Var. 1. 

 Norwich (Bridgman) ; Surrey (Choules). Var. 2. Sandy 

 coasts of North and South V\^ales, South Devon, and 

 Cork (J. G. J.)- Var. 3. Cork (Humphreys) ; Swansea 

 (J. G. J.). Var. 4. Sandwich and Falmouth. This 

 species has not been noticed as an upper tertiary fossil, 

 or as inhabiting the North of Europe ; but it is widely 

 diffused over a great part of the Continent and ranges 



