326 AMERICAN JOURNAL 



respectively South America, Europe and Cuba, it is very proba- 

 ble that the animals differ still more." 



I agree entirely with Dr. Cooper that it would be best to take 

 the shells only to guide us, while we continue ignorant of the 

 animals ; but I am entirely unable to perceive the differences in 

 the shells to which he alludes. Dr. Cooper lays great stress 

 upon the importance of the colored band upon the shells of many 

 California Helices, relying upon it principally as a subgeneric 

 distinction. As to form, H. arrosa and H. redemita have been 

 found with exactly the form of H. pomatia of Europe, the type 

 of the genus Pomatia ! 



The author further remarks that the Californian species are 

 generally sufficiently distinct, although hybrids undoubtedly 

 occur, and Dr. Wesley Newcomb, of Oakland, has raised many 

 specimens in his garden which combine the characters of several 

 species, so that it is impossible to determine their names. This 

 is all truly lamentable, and tends to strengthen a suspicion that 

 I have long entertained, that many of the so-called Californian 

 species are really untenable. 



It may be remarked that while Dr. Cooper refuses to consider 

 the genera Aglaja, Arionta and Polymita to be represented in 

 California, because their types belong to other geographical 

 provinces, yet he unhesitatingly adopts Hyalina, Conulus and 

 Patula, the types of which are European. 



The species are all described, and grouped in a natural man- 

 ner, forming a very useful paper. 



Shells collected at Santa Barbara hy W. Newcomh, 31. D., 

 in January, 1867. By Robert E. C. Stearns. 



List of Shells collected at Purissima and Lohitas, California, 

 October, 1866. By Robert E. C. Stearns. 



Pescription of a New Species of Pisidium. By J. RowELL. 

 Pisidium Angelicum, Rowell. Angel Island. 



II.— FOREIGN. 



BRITISH . 



Conchologla Iconlca. By Lovell Reeve. 4to. Pts. 264, 265, with 16 

 colured plates. 



Unio. Plates 55, 56. June, 1867. 

 The following are described as new species : 

 U. Mexicanus, Sowerby. Mexico. 

 " Angasi, Lea, MS. Strangways River, Australia. 



