EULIMA. 233 



EuUma distorta, Desh. Lam. Anim. f5. Vert. (ed. Desh.) vol. viii. p. 4.54. — 

 Thompson, Ann. Nat. Hist. vol. xiii. p. 432. — Jeff. Ann. N. 

 H. vol. xix. p. 311 (no descrip.). — Alder, Moll. Northunib. 

 and Durh. p. 46. animal. — Philippi, Moll. Sicil. vol. ii. 

 p. 135. 

 „ i-iolita, Macgilliv. Moll. Aberd. p. 142? 



It is probable tliat what Montagu, Turtoii, and other 

 British writers have regarded as the fry of polita Avere 

 adult specimens of this small and strange-looking species. 

 There appear to be two principal varieties ; one abbre- 

 viated, longitudinally compressed, and greatly arcuated ; 

 the other scarcely compressed or curved, and much more 

 slender. Both of them are pure white shells (with bright 

 scarlet specks when the animal is in them), and exhibit the 

 general characters of polita. The former approaches it 

 closely in shape, but may be distinguished by its compres- 

 sion, curvature, and small dimensions ; its mouth too is 

 slightly more produced, and its inner lip is almost devoid 

 of angularity. 



The Clyde variety (?), gracilis^ Is much more elongated 

 and bears a strong resemblance in general figure to suhulata^ 

 from which its smaller size, its quicker basal declination, 

 its shorter penult turn, and less produced body, the basal 

 pouting of its outer lip, and the almost invariably greater 

 or lesser curvature of its spire suffice to distinguish it. The 

 typical characters of distorta are, however, less intensely 

 present, the compression being scarcely perceptible, and 

 the distortion by no means striking. These straighter 

 individuals differ from polita by their minuteness, their 

 much more slender proportions, &c. A third of an inch is 

 as much as specimens usually attain to in length ; in the 

 bent typical form the breadth is not much more than a 

 third of this ; the width in the slender and straighter 

 examples is often not even a single line. 



VOL. III. H H 



