16 NATURAL SCIENCE [July 1898 
NortH AMERICAN LAND SHELLS 
“A CLASSIFIED catalogue with localities of the Land Shells of America 
north of Mexico,” compiled by H. A. Pilsbry and C. W. Johnson, is 
a small brochure of thirty-five pages, reprinted from The Nautilus. 
The great advance in our knowledge of the true relationships of the 
members of the great Helicoid group as brought about by Pilsbry’s 
work has rendered the production of such a catalogue as this most 
desirable, and one which will be greatly appreciated by all who are 
interested in North American Land Mollusca ; whilst it further shows a 
considerable increase in the known number of species from that region 
since the last edition of Binney’s “ Manual,” which appeared in 1885. 
Whether all these extra species, some seventy-five in number, will 
ultimately prove valid, time alone can show ; but we confess to feeling 
very sceptical about some. Certain species are acknowledged imports. 
The grouping of the larger families does not strike one as alto- 
gether happy or even natural. The insertion of the Agnatha between 
the Holopoda and the Aulacopoda is especially unfortunate. We may 
point out that Vitrea draparnaldi is a synonym of V. lucida (Drap.). 
THE CONNOP COLLECTION OF BritisH BIRDS 
East ANGLIA has long been famous for the richness of its ‘ Ornis,’ 
and the researches of the ornithologists who dwell within its borders 
have contributed in no small degree to our knowledge of the birds 
of Western Europe. Foremost among Norfolk naturalists of the 
present day stand Mr J. H. Gurney and Mr T. Southwell; the 
latter having completed the third volume of poor Stevenson’s 
“Birds of Norfolk” in the most praiseworthy style. It is to the 
zeal of these two gentlemen, and more especially to that of Mr 
Southwell, that we are indebted for a precise history of the ornitho- 
logical treasures to be studied at Rollesby Hall in the form of 
a catalogue some sixty pages in length. Mr E. M. Connop of that 
place is keenly interested in local zoology. During the last thirty 
years he has used every opportunity of securing for his collection 
the rarest birds procured by the Norfolk wildfowlers. How far his 
efforts have been rewarded with success may be guessed from the 
fact that he is the proud possessor of four local specimens of 
the White-eyed Pochard (Vyroca ferruginea), two local examples of 
the Gull-billed Tern (Sterna anglica); and three individuals of 
Sabine’s Gull (Xema sabinii) obtained on the Norfolk coast. It is 
satisfactory to know the exact whereabouts of such specimens as the 
only examples of Pallas’ Warbler (Phylloscopus proregulus) and thé 
Mediterranean Herring Gull (Larus cachinnans), that have been so 
far detected within. the limits of the British Isles. Strange to say, 
the Whooper Swan (Cygnus musicus) has not been included in this 
fine series. 
