NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



311 



(in shells recently dead) up to the mature mollusc ; and one could 

 have filled a wheel-barrow with them in a very short time. The 

 larger shells were nearly all half-buried in the mud, in the position 

 in which the animal had lived. Sphcerinm corneum, L., aud 

 Bythinia tentaculata, L., were in countless numbers; other species 

 of aquatic shells were lying here and there, and among these the 

 rare Limncea auricularia, L. I am not aware that this species of 

 Limncea has before been recorded from the Paisley Canal, but I 

 understand that Mr. J. M. Campbell of the Kelvingrove Museum 

 used to find it here many years ago. 



Among Anodonta cygncea were one or two varieties which may 

 be worth recording, viz.: — 



var. radiata, Mull. 



var. incrassata, Shepp. 



var. minor (?) 



This variety when full grown is the 

 finest of all the forms of the swan- 

 mussel, measuring fully 5| inches. 

 I found it to be rather rare. 



This variety, which is easily distinguish- 

 able from its great thickness across 

 the umbones, I found to be the pre- 

 vailing form among those I saw in 

 the canal bed. 



This form, of which I got a few speci- 

 mens, is very stunted, and although 

 evidently adult it measures not more 

 than 3 to 3J inches in length. It 

 will be observed from the specimen 

 exhibited that in form it resembles 

 var. incrassata; but being so decided- 

 ly smaller than usual, I have, for the 

 sake of reference, named it "var. 



Professor John Young, M.D., F.G.S., made some remarks on the 

 characteristics of the large and variable group of fresh-water 

 Unionidae, referiing more particularly to the genus Anodonta. 



Mr. Donald Farquhar exhibited a number of lizards, snakes, 

 molluscs, and other objects from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 

 collected by his brother, Mr. John Farquhar, formerly a member of 

 the Society. He also made some remarks on the distribution and 

 habits of the various species. 



VOL. V. Y 



