Mr. L. Reeve on the Geographical Distribution of the Bulimi. 253 



latitude of the eastern hemisphere which is characterized in the 

 western hemisphere by the delicate species of the dry sandy 

 countries of Chili and Buenos Ayres. 



The Bulimi of the Philippine Islands^ which are very numerous 

 and of large size, belong chiefly to one type, represented by B. 

 pythogaster, bicoloratus, lignarius,fulgetrum, nimbosus, and others. 

 The shell of this type is not so much distinguished by colour, as 

 by the presence of a double membranous epidermis, to which the 

 different species are indebted for their characteristic patterns. 

 B. Cumingii, Leaii, and a few others belong to another type of 

 which the shell is inflated, and mostly shining white with only a 

 very slight single epidermis. About eighty species of Bulimus 

 have been collected in the twenty-two islands of the Philippine 

 group, all extremely local in their range of habitation. With 

 the exception of about half a dozen out of eighty, each species 

 is confined to its particular island. The equable climate of 

 these islands, the excessive rains, and woody character of the 

 vegetation combine materially to favour the growth of snails. 

 They live some on the branches of the trees and in shady recesses, 

 and others among light thickets on the outskirts of the woods. 

 The large species are strictly arboreal, and deposit their eggs 

 standing on end in parallel rows upon a leaf. The transparent 

 horny ground-burrowing type which appears at Hindoostan in 

 B. cereus and gracilis, and at Java in B. Achatinaceus, is here 

 represented by B. elongatulus and Panayensis. 



The only species collected in China axeB. decorticatus belonging 

 to the ground type, which is universal, and B. Cantori, from the 

 environs of Nanking. They belong to the Caucasian type, which 

 reaches the islands of Ty-pin-san and Koo-Kien-san of the Meia- 

 co-shimah group of the Yellow Sea in B. Anglicoides found 

 under decayed leaves among the loose stones which surround 

 the tombs. 



Of the Bulimi of Australia little is at present known. One 

 species, B. atomatus, with a large dark-coloured inflated shell, has 

 been collected at Port Macquarrie, one small species, B. trili- 

 neatus, at Port King George, and two, B. Kingii and inflatus, of 

 which the precise locality is unknown. Two species with thin 

 dusky shells, B. melo and Du/resnii, inhabiting Van Diemen's 

 Land, constitute the southern limit of the genus in the eastern 

 hemisphere. 



3. The African Province. 



The African province includes all that explored portion of the 

 continent below Senegal on the west side, and Zanzibar, including 

 the islands of Mam-itius and Madagascar, on the east. In the 

 intertropical area along the west coast of Africa, extending from 

 latitude 15° S. to 15° N., the Bulimi are replaced in great mea- 



