THE NAUTILUS. Ill 



worth remembering, viz, never wear anything decent when collect- 

 ing in the tropics. 



During our stay we drove around the entire island, visiting every 

 parish. Owing to the worthlessness of our team, the illness of the 

 driver, and the almost incessant rains we encountered on the north 

 side, our opportunities for collecting were greatly diminished. 



It was only when we stopped over a day or so at the towns that 

 we were able to get any great amount of material. Strangely 

 enough we found almost no marine species whatever. Occasionally 

 on the rocky beaches we obtained Neritina virginea, a few Littorinas, 

 Tectarius and Ner'dbias, but for miles, in fact along whole parishes, 

 though the road ran near to the sea, and we watched closely, not 

 even a valve was seen. 



The lack of marine forms was made up in the abundance of the 

 land snails, and in some cases the fresh water species. In a branch 

 of the delta of Roaring River, under a great breadfruit tree, H. 

 picked up a dead Hemislnus lineolutus. Then I looked on the rocky 

 and sandy bottom and found it alive by handfulls, and we met with 

 it in quantities elsewhere. 



We kept an eager watch for the great white Helix aspera. My 

 friend picked up a single dead specimen on the road near Falmouth, 

 and this fairly turned our heads. We inquired of every darkey 

 from that on, hearing of it often like the Ignis fatuus, just a little 

 way out of reach. Near Montego Bay we got a few more dead 

 ones, and again as it was growing dark we discovered a dozen or so 

 on the bushes and vines when we were nearing Savanna la Mar. 

 The next day I started out early for a walk, resolved to find this 

 snail if thorough search would do it. I tramped the whole forenoon 

 and got only a few Ampullarias, and two o'olock found me tired, 

 hungry, and thoroughly disgusted, seven miles from our hotel, and 

 uncertain whether to push on to some low hills a mile ahead, or to 

 give it up and go back. My resolve determined me and I went on. 

 The first rounded knoll looked well at a little distance — one learns 

 in a short time to distinguish good from poor localities a long way 

 off. The elevation did not occupy more than half an acre ; red clay 

 with decomposed limestone. It was originally a dwarf scrub which 

 had been partly cleaved a couple of weeks before. The first thing 

 I saw was a fine dead Helix aspera on the ground, then others, there 

 they lay thickly all around me, bright and fresh, with the animals 

 nicely cleared out by tropic showers, the sun, and swarming insects. 



