THE NAUTILUS. 
1 18 
As Unio oregonensis was described probably about the year 1852, 
rowelli in 1859, and Macneilii in 1874, the former should have pre¬ 
cedence. But it may be set down as an absolute certainty that no 
member of the group to which this species belongs was ever found 
nearer than 1500 miles from the Columbia river, and the locality is 
undoubtedly an error. As the name oregonensis is, therefore, mis¬ 
leading, I think we are justified in applying to the species the next 
oldest name, Unio rowelli of Lea. As I have shown in the article 
referred to in American Naturalist that Unio famelicus Gkl. of the 
Columbia region is only a young Unio multistriatus Lea, of Brazil, 
I think I am safe in saying that no Unios are known to inhabit 
North America west of the great Rocky Mountain chain ; this 
being the largest area distitute of Unio life in the temperate or 
tropical regions of the globe. 
\ Vr> p-50V\ 
NOTES AND NEWS. 
Mr. A. A. Hinkley has removed from Du Bois, Ill., to Rock¬ 
ford, Illinois, which will be his address in future. 
Mr. Edw. W. Roper and Mrs. Roper sailed for Jamaica on 
Dec. 19, to spend the winter collecting shells and ferns. 
A Train Stopped by Snails. —Mr. Laille, an engineer in the 
employ of the Tunisian Railway, writes in the Dipeche Tunisienne: 
“ The train coming east from Suk-el-Arba last Thursday was two 
hours late for a very singular reason. The road was literally cov¬ 
ered with snails, the wheels of the locomotive crushing these mol- 
lusks into a pulp, which destroyed all adherence and caused the lo¬ 
comotive wheels to skate, so to speak, in their places. We have 
seen flocks of locusts stop trains, but I think the fact that snails 
can stop a train is without a precedent. These snails are very gen¬ 
eral all through Tunis, especially during the rainy season ; the 
smallest remainders of green on field or tree are covered with them, 
so much so that they appear like a bunch of grapes hung up, only 
that their white shells produce a curious effect.”— Phila. Becord. 
Mr. John B. Henderson of Washington, D. C., has sailed for 
Japan, with Mr. John W. Foster, to be absent about three months. 
Helcioniscus nigrisquamatus. —By error, the word “not” 
■was printed for now, in line 11 from bottom of Mr. Taylor’s article 
on this species, October number, p. 66. As it completely changes 
the meaning of the sentence, this correction should be made. 
