396 Mr. E. L. Layard's Rambles in Ceylon. 



similar situations, but does not bury itself so much ; the most re- 

 markable specimens I have found occurred in a small artificial well 

 in the curious formation of the Jaffna district already described. The 

 shell is thin, light, corneous, closely striped with dark waving lines, 



1 inch 3 lines long in some instances, and 5^ lines in diameter ; the 

 animal a brilliant green. This little well had a slight accumulation 

 of mould at one end, in which a crop of bullrushes had taken root ; 

 on these the Melania fed and flourished in company with large 

 numbers oi Planorbis indicus^* , which likewise exceeded in size all I 

 have hitherto seen, with one exception, also found in the same pro- 

 vince, in a pond between Jaffna and Chavagacherry. Here they 

 exceed 9 lines in diameter, with a lip 4 lines across and considerably 

 recurved, reminding one of the mouth of a bugle. 



We have three other Melanice in the island, all found in the Caltura 

 river (the Calloo ganga) ; the largest^^, if the apex was not always 

 eroded, would measure upwards of 3 inches in length ; — I have it 



2 inches 4 lines, and not full-grown. A specimen now before me 

 measures, axis If inch, diameter 9 lines ; the colour is a shining dark 

 brown, in some instances almost black ; the aperture and columellar lip 

 brown, inside white ; the whorls are granulated in the young shell, 

 the granulations disposed in stripes, generally five in number. As 

 the shell grows older they become confluent, and the shell appears 

 simply spirally striated. The next in size^* would be, if not decollated, 

 about — axis If, diameter ^ inch ; dark brown, verging on black, lip 

 deep chestnut-brown ; the surface is highly granulated in longitudinal 

 wavy lines ; in some instances the striae rise abruptly on the shoulder, 

 forming on every other one an obtuse elevated tubercle. 



The last is a handsome shell s^, seldom attaining more than 1 inch 

 in length, although one I possess (the largest out of many thousands 

 collected) measures — axis 1 inch 5 lines, diameter 5 lines. The 

 colour is a lightish horn colour, aperture whitish, surface granulated 

 throughout in wavy longitudinal lines, transversely spirally striated. 

 In this specimen the mouth is elegantly dentated. Should this prove 

 new, I should wish it called after my lamented friend Dr. George 

 Gardner, in whose company I found it during a pleasant excursion 

 we took. This species is abundant beneath the fine sand of the 

 Caltura river within the tidal range ; the previous one is foimd occa- 

 sionally in the mud below the bridge, but its great haunt is a muddy 

 stream which falls into the river a few yards above the bridge. 



Jaffna, May 17th. 



Safe back again, buggy and horse as sound as ever, and the journey 

 accomplished for the first time ; 408 miles have been passed over by 

 the same horse, 337 of which he has been between the shafts, some- 

 times scrambUng through mud holes, at others sliding down rocks, 



^' Planorbis Indicus, Bens., J. A. S. 1836, is P. Coromandelicus, Fabr. 

 ^^ Not received unless intended for Pirena atra, which is marked from 

 the Southern pai-t of the island. 



^* A variety of the Javanese Melania Winteri, V. d. Busch. 

 ^^ M, lirata, Bens., var. semigranosa, V. d. Busch. 



