134 HELICIDJE. 



i6. H. virga'ta,* Da Costa. Pl. VIIL 



Body whitish with a tinge of pink or yellow, tubercles large, 

 round ; tentacles dark grey, cyJindro-conic, thickish, upper pair 

 rather close together, lower pair considerably diverging ; bulbs 

 globular, reddish, spotted with brown at the base ; foot broadly 

 rounded in front, gradually narrowing behind, tail of a pale 

 pinkish-white, obtuse at the tip. 



Shell conical, globose, rather solid, nearly opaque, somewhat 

 glossy, white or cream-colour, usually with a dark brown band 

 which encircles the base of the upper volutions, and gradually 

 widening, is continued round the body whorl immediately above 

 the periphery, at the base of the shell there are also other bands 

 of a similar colour, which vary from three to seven in number; 

 rather coarsely and irregularly striate in the line of growth ; 

 periphery rounded ; epidermis indistinct ; whorls 6, convex, 

 their summits slightly depressed, body whorl occupying more 

 than half of the shell ; spire produced, apex brownish, glossy ; 

 jnouth forming three-fourths of a circle, inside with a reddish- 

 brown rib ; outer lip moderately thin, reflected near to and over 

 the umbilicus, which is narrow but deep. 



Inhabits downs, sandhills, and heaths in many 

 places in England as far north as ''Alnmouth in 

 Northumberland " (McMurtrie), also in Wales, Ireland, 

 and the Channel Islands, but it does not seem to have 

 been found in Scotland. 



The shell of this species is very variable in its size, 

 colour, and markings ; sometimes the bands are inter- 

 rupted or broken up, giving a mottled appearance to 

 the surface, occasionally they are altogether wanting. 

 In young specimens the periphery is somewhat sharply 

 keeled. 



The animals of this species are gregarious, and 

 though they are found in some of the inland counties, 

 their favourite habitat is near the sea-coast. In loca- 



* Striped. 



