246 LAND AND FRESHWATER 
«This species is very near V. gigas, Bens., and still) more closely 
allied to V. peguensis, 'Theob., being, however, a more depressed 
species than either, and more open. It is also less solid than the 
last-named species. I have not met with the animal, which may 
possibly differ from those of other Vitrine. 
“Tf the animal resemble those of V. gigas and V. pequensis, the 
occurrence of this mollusk on the western flank of the Nilgbiri 
Hills will be one of the most anomalous with which I am acquainted 
amongst the land-shells of India, since | know of no other instance 
of a Malayan type, unrepresented on the Himalayas, of which 
species occur on the hills of Southern India. 
“A small auriform shell such as this may, however, have been 
easily overlooked, and the Himalayan molluscan fauna is probably 
far from thoroughly known. 
“The animal of V. pequensis has been partly described by Mr. 
Theobald, who, however, has unfortunately not mentioned the form 
of the mantle, the presence or absence of lobes covering the shell, 
nor the existence of a caudal gland, unless the expression ‘ caudali 
papilla nulla’ is intended to imply its absence; more probably 
Mr. Theobald’s meaning is that the overhanging lobe, so con- 
spicuous in some forms of Nanina, is absent, the gland existing as 
in Ariophanta, &e. 
“This Vitrina is not the only South Nilgiri species. <A larger 
membranaceous form also occurs, which requires comparison with 
Mr. Benson’s V. membranacea from Ceylon.” 
These remarks of Mr. Blanford, written when so very little was 
comparatively known of the Indian Jand-shells, may now be read with 
interest, and show that he was then impressed with the remarkable 
diversity and distinctness of form that is to be found between the 
Southern Indian and Malayan types. A. peguensis, as I shall show 
further on, is widely different from this Nilgiri genus, as well as 
from gigas. But more remarkable is the fact that this South-Indian 
mollusk is so similar in its organization to the African form 
which I have fully described, so similar that there is no character 
of importance to separate them generically. This is only another 
proof, which Mr. Blanford has shown us long ago, of the remarkable 
relationship in the fauna of Eastern Africa and Southern India, 
and their probable former land-connection. 
Subgenus Bensonia, Pfeiffer. (Plate LX1.) 
As a 5th subgenus of Nanina, Pfeiffer, Malak. Blitt. 1855, p. 119 ; 
type taken and the first on the lists, W. labiata, Pfr. 
Bensonia, Nevill’s Hand-list, p. 49 (1878), type N. monticola= 
labiata; Pfr. Nomen, Helic. Vivent. p. 41 (1878), type WV. labiata. 
