
friar] 
SthTHSON Ay 
MAR 02 1989 
UBRARIcS 





THE TERRESTRIAL MOLLUSCA INHABITING THE SOCIETY ISLANDS. 
By ANDREW GARRETT. 
The Society Islands, which are the largest and most important group in southeastern 
Polynesia, comprise eight islands of volcanic origin and two of coral formation. 
Seven only, 7. e., Tahiti, Moorea, Huaheine, Raiatea,'Tahaa, Borabora and Maupiti, 
have each one or more species peculiar to it or not found elsewhere. 
Tahiti, the largest island in the group, is about thirty-eight miles long and twenty- 
three wide. It may be described as two islands of very unequal size connected by a 
low narrow isthmus. Moorea, which is eight miles west of Tahiti, is about nine miles 
long and six wide. Huaheine is seventy-two miles W. N. W. of Moorea and is about 
the same size as the latter island. Raiatea is twenty miles west of Huaheine and is 
about fourteen miles long and seven wide: ‘ahaa, which is about the same size as 
Huaheine, is two miles north of Raiatea and inclosed in the same encircling reef with 
the latter island. Borabora is about half the size of Huaheine and situated nine miles 
northwest of Tahaa. Maupiti, which is smaller than Borabora, is about twenty-three 
miles west of that island. 
The earliest recorded Society Island land shells are Limax faba (= Partula faba), 
Martyn, and Bulimus Otaheitanus (= Partula Otaheitana), Bruguiere, which were 
published nearly a century ago. These two species were discovered when the islands 
were visited by Capt. Cook in his second or third voyage. From that early period up 
to 1819, when Ferussac recorded Helix trochiformis in his ** Prodrome,” no species, 
so far as I can learn, were published. In 1825, Dr. Gray added Helicina Maugeria 
to the list. In 1830, M. Lesson (Voy. Coquille) described Awricula viola, Partula 
lutea, Helicina miniata and Partula lmeata, all Borabora shells, except the last, which 
inhabits Moorea, but was erroneously assigned to one of the Caroline Islands. In 
1832, MM. Quoy and Gaimard (Voy. de lAstrolabe) described an elongate dextral 
variety of Partula Otaheitana under the name of Helix Vanicorensis, and wrongly 
accredited it to Vanicoro in Melanesia. 
The islands were next partially explored by that prince of collectors, Mr. H. 
Cuming, who discovered many new species which were described by Broderip, Reeve 
and Pfeiffer. But, unfortunately, he was so very careless in regard to the precise 
habitats of his shells that about two-thirds of the localities recorded on his authority 
