MADEIRAN QROVP. 115 



blished. Perhaps future researches in Porto Santo, or on the 

 immediately adjacent islets, will reveal some local modification 

 of the caperata, in which this slightly increased bulk of the 

 basal whorl may constitute more or less a distinctive feature.* 



Helix armillata. 



Helix 'striata, Drap. V Loive, Camhr. Phil. S. Trans, iv. 



53 (1831) 

 „ Lowei, Pot. et Mich, [nee Fer., 1835], Gal. des 



Moll. 91 (1838) 

 „ „ Pfeif., Man. Hel. i. 149 (1848) 



„ armillata, Lowe, Ann. Nat. Hist. 113 (1852) 

 „ „ Pfeif., Mon. Hel. iii. 116 (1853) 



„ „ Loive, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 170 (1854) 



„ „ Alb., Mai. Mad. 20. t. 2. f. 32-35 (1854) 



„ eumseus, Loioe, Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. ; Zool. 198 



(1860) 

 „ armillata, Paiva, Mon. Moll. Mad. 68 (1867) 

 „ „ Morelet, Journ. de Conch. 236 (1873) 



„ „ Watson, Journ. de Conch. 222 {\%1 Q) 



Habitat Maderam ; in aridis apricis inferioribus juxta Fun- 

 chal, hinc inde vulgaris. 



I am extremely doubtful whether the present rather in- 

 significant little Helix is more in reality than a small and 

 perhaps slightly modified phasis of the common H. caperata, 

 Mont. ( = striata, Drap.), which is so widely spread tliroughout 

 the maritime regions of central and southern Europe ; and so 

 indeed it was at first registered, although in doubt, by Mr. 

 Lowe. Subsequently however he described it under the name 

 '^armillata''; adding ^ H. striates, Drap., afiinis.' 



I cannot however feel satisfied (and Mr. Watson, judging 

 from his remarks, wovdd appear to be of the same opinion) 

 that it merits separation from the depauperated state of that 

 species, — which is extremely common about Lisbon and Cintra, 

 and which in fact is generally to be met with wherever the 



' With regard to Mr. Lowe"s after-rejection of the //. lanta from the Ma- 

 deiran list, I would refer to his observations at p. viii of the Ajopendix to the 

 reprint (in 1851, by Mr. Van Voorst) of his original papers ' Primitije et 

 Novitiaj Faunce et Floris Maderas et Tortus Sancti,' which were contained in 

 the fourth volume of the ' Transactions of the Cambridge Philosophical 

 Society.' I cannot but think however that he was mistaken in supposing 

 that the H. lauta is more akin to the virgata, Mont., than it is to the caparata ; 

 and I also fail to perceive that its umbilicus is very decidedly ' smaller ' than 

 that of the latter, —though it is certainly a little smaller, as well as just 

 appreciably more closed-over by the lamellated portion of the peristome 

 which adjoins the columella. 



I 2 



