ZONITES. 163 



3. Z. NiTi DULUs *, Draparnaud. 



Helix nitidula, Drap, Hist. Moll. p. 117. Z. nitidulus, F. & H. iv. p. 36, 

 pi. cxx. f. 8-10. 



Body dark-grey or slate-colour, with a brownish tinge, 

 covered with flat and irregularly-shaped tubercles of a darker 

 hue, which give a speckled appearance : tentacles rather short 

 and conical ; bulbs small : foot rather narrow in front, swollen 

 and keeled behind. 



Shell compressed, more convex above than below, thin, 

 moderately glossy, scarcely semitransparent, brown or yel- 

 lowish-horncolour above, whitish underneath, especially about 

 the umbilicus ; sculptured as in Z. cellarius, but having the 

 spiral striae more regular and distinct : epidermis rather thick : 

 whorls 4^b, convex and rounded, the last occupying rather 

 more than one-half of the shell : spire slightly raised, nearly 

 central : suture rather deep : mouth round, except where it is 

 interrupted by the periphery of the penultimate whorl : outer 

 lip not so obliquely set as in the last species, nor reflected : 

 umbilicus very broad and deep, fully exposing the interior of 

 the spire. L. 0-15. B. 0-33. 



Var. 1. nitens. Shell rather smaller and of a lighter colour, 

 with a dull and waxy appearance ; last whorl somewhat larger 

 in proportion to the others and laterally expanded. Helix 

 nitens, Michaud, Compl. Drap. p. 44, pi. xv. f. 1-5. 



Var. 2. Helmii. Shell resembling that of the above-men- 

 tioned variety, but of a pearl-white colour. Helix Helmii, 

 GUbertson's MS. 



Habitat : Under stones and among dead leaves, moss, 

 and herbage in woods, hedge-banks, and elsewhere in 

 this country, from the Moray Firth district to Guernsey. 

 Var. 1. South Wales, West coast of Scotland, and many 

 other places. This variety is more widely diffused than 

 the typical form, which is not uncommon on the banks 

 of the Thames near London and seems to prefer watery 

 places, like Z. nitidus. Var. 2. Preston (Gilbertson) ; 

 Sevenoaks, Kent (Smith). This species is one of our 



* Rather glossy. 



