MADEIRAN GROUP. 257 



(§ Amplwr'illa, Lowe.) 



Lovea melampoides. 

 Helix melampoides, Lowe^ Camhr. PJt'd. S. Trans, iv. 60. 



t. 6. f. 24 (1831) 

 Achatina tornatellina, /3., Pfeif. Man. Hel. ii. 277 (1848) 

 „ „ Loiue. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 203 



(1854) 

 Glandina melampoides, Alb., Mai. Mad. 59. t. 15. f. 13, 14 



(1854) 

 Achatina toruatelliua, 7. maxima, Paiva, Man. Moll. Mad. 



112 (1867) 

 Lovea melampoides, Watson, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 679 

 (1875) 



Habitat Portum Sanctum, aut potius in ins. parva adjacente 

 ' Ilheo de Cima ' dicta ; sub lapidibus maguis vulgaris. In 

 statu semifossili etiam in Portn Sancto ipsissimo occurrit, — sc. 

 in rupe quadam lutosa maritima, haud procul ab oppidulo, a 

 meipso lecta. 



The present species and four following ones may be known 

 from the rest of the Loveas here enumerated by {inter alia) the 

 peculiar conformation of their mouth, — which is extremely 

 elongate, or acuminated backwards (and that, too, obliquely), 

 so as to shape out a narrow and very acute space for its hinder 

 region. And of the five more or less closely allied species which 

 have hitherto been brought to light, the L. melampoides is con- 

 spicuous for being much the largest and the most solid, the shell 

 being remarkably thick in substance. 



At first sight indeed the L. melampoides might almost be 

 supposed to represent some gigantic and strongly developed 

 race of the L. tornatellina, but I think that it has too many 

 peculiarities of its own to render that conclusion a safe one. 

 Thus, it not only differs in its bulk and solidity, but it is like- 

 wise a little less glossy, and less ventricose (or rounded) in out- 

 line, its aperture is wider (or more expanded outwards) 

 posteriorly, its columella is broader and less tortuous, its outer 

 lip is not quite, so obliquely sloped-off, and the two rudimentary 

 ventral callosities whicli (although sometimes indistinct) are 

 always traceable in that species are apparently quite obsolete — 

 or even altogether absent. Moreover the L. melampoides has 

 a tendency to merge occasionally into a very beaitiful albino, 

 or snowy-white, state (which assumes almost the appearance 

 of china. or marble), — a peculiarity which is quite unknown 

 in the tornatellina. At any rate as I have seen nothing 

 approaching to a connective link between the L. melampo- 

 ides and the toriiatelUtia, I do not understand on what prin- 



s 



