110 AMERICAN JOURNAL 



European and American species, while Bengalensis is a light 

 but dull green, and its bands a darker green. The latter also 

 has a longer spire, and its whorls are not quite so convex. 



The specimen I have figured is intermediate in size between 

 the Vivipara figured by Say and the Bengalensis figured by 

 Haldeman ; and, although Say proposed a description under 

 the name of multilineata, and Haldeman describes " numerous 

 narrow spiral bands" in Bengalensis, yet an examination of 

 both their figures will show but four bands, the number on 

 the two specimens before me. It is, perhaps, possible to sepa- 

 rate each band into several closely approximate revolving 

 colored lines, but this may be done with almost any fasciate 

 shell. I insist upon this point in the present instance, because 

 the possession of four bands stamps this species as North Ame- 

 rican in its origin, and because Bengalensis has, in common 

 with other Asiatic species, numerous distinct narrow bands. 

 (I count twelve on one specimen in my cabinet.) We can 

 probably even determine the origin of these species by this 

 character alone ; thus : — 



A. Bands Red. 

 Two banded. Cuban. V. Bermondiana, the 



only species. 

 Three banded. European. Every fasciate species. 



Four banded. North American. Every fasciate species. 



B. Bands Green. 

 Bands numerous. Asiatic (Indian). V. Bengalensis, V. Bi- 



gallsiamis, etc. 

 Australian. V. suprafasciata, V. 



Austra lis, V. Ess ing- 

 tonensis. 

 Not Banded. 

 Asiatic and American. 

 It will be noticed that Mr. Say did not describe his specimens 

 from Florida under the name of multilineata. Prof. Haldeman, 

 therefore, ought not to have quoted this name in his synonymy 

 of V. vivipara. ^ir. Say at first suspected his shell to be new, 

 but on publishing it, concluded that it was not so ; I am, there- 

 fore, at liberty to affix a name to this species, and multilineata 

 would be inappropriate, as not describing correctly one of the 

 characters of the shell, and as indicating a foreign origin of 

 the species ; besides it is preoccupied by my friend, Prof. Meek, 

 for a fossil species discovered in Nebraska. I, therefore, dedi- 

 cate it to the lady who collected the specimens in Dr. Mich- 

 ener's cabinet. 



Dr. Michener allowed me to examine also specimens of Y. 

 lineata from the same locality, and differing in no respect from 

 specimens from other portions of the Southern States. 



