BULIMUS. 147 



in front, tuberculate, ending in a keeled and obtuse tail ; lingual 

 ribbon with loo rows of 37 teeth = 3700. 



Shell cylindrically conic, scarcely semitransparent, whitish 

 or yellowish-white, with irregular transverse streaks of a pale 

 brown colour, often with a dark brown band towards the base 

 of the body whorl, which in some cases also encircles the upper 

 volutions, closely but irregularly striate in the line of growth, 

 and often wrinkled on the surface ; periphery rounded ; epidermis 

 thinnish ; whorls 8-9, convex, gradually enlarging ; spire taper- 

 ing, apex obtuse ; suture deepish ; mouth forming three-fourths 

 of an oval ; outer lip rather thin, reflected over, and almost 

 concealing the umbilicus, which is narrow and not very deep. 



Inhabits downs and other places near the sea-coast, 

 especially on sandy soil, in many parts of Great 

 Britain and Ireland. No well authenticated inland 

 locality has been given for it. The shell varies con- 

 siderably in colour and markings. 



These snails are gregarious ; in some localities they 

 occur in countless myriads, and like H. virgata, are 

 supposed to " drop from the clouds." 



Var. I. bizofia. — Shell smaller, with two dark bands on the 

 body whorl. lona (Lowe and Berkeley), Abergelly near Conway 

 (Gibbs), Cork (Humphreys), Tenby, Portmarnock in Dublin 

 Bay (J. G. J.), B.C. 



Var. I. inflata. — Shell rather more ventricose, streaked with 

 brown or marked with a single band ; spire shorter ; whorls 

 proportionally broader ; occurs with the typical form, but 

 merges insensibly into it through intermediate gradations, B.C. 



2. B. monta'nus,* Draparnaud. Pl. VIII. 



Body thickish, dark red or greyish-brown, tubercles flattish, 

 rather wide apart, with minute black specks ; tentacles conical, 

 thickish, reddish-brown, diverging at their base, upper pair 

 shagreened, bulbs nearly globular, thick ; lower tentacles nearly 



* Inhabiting mountains. 



L 2 



